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Ex-aide to Ensign, Doug Hampton, indicted in lobbying case
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Isaac Brekken/The Associated Press
Doug Hampton, a former aide to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is pictured outside his home in June 2009. Hampton has been indicted for violating criminal conflict of interest laws.
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Updated: Mar. 26, 2011 | 12:18 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- Doug Hampton, who in his rage implicated himself in wrongdoing in an effort to bring down Sen. John Ensign for having an affair with his wife, was indicted Thursday on charges of violating a federal conflict of interest law.
Hampton, a Las Vegas golfing chum who came to Washington in 2007 to serve as the Nevada Republican's top administrative assistant, was charged with seven counts of violating a law that forbids senior Senate staffers from lobbying the Senate for a year after they leave their Capitol Hill jobs.
The indictment is another big blow to Hampton, who learned late in 2007 that his wife, Cindy, a close friend of Ensign's wife since high school, was having an affair with the senator, who also had given her a job as treasurer of his political operations.
The discovery led to a series of actions by Ensign to cover up and smooth over the scandal, including calling Las Vegas business supporters and setting up Hampton as a lobbyist and seeing his wealthy parents give $96,000 to the Hampton family.
Ensign has not been charged, but his political career imploded when all was made public in summer and fall 2009. He announced this month he would not run for re-election when his term in office expires next year.
The cost also has been high for the Hamptons -- and could get much higher. The family, who lost their Las Vegas home to foreclosure, has moved to California, their attorney Dan Albregts has said. Albregts declined to comment on Thursday.
Hampton, 48, has been summoned to appear for his arraignment on March 31 in U.S. District Court in Washington. The maximum penalty for each count is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 per count.
Hampton's career as a lobbyist faltered. After unsuccessfully seeking money from Ensign, he approached the FoxNews channel with his story, but Ensign was tipped and hurriedly called a Las Vegas news conference on June 16, 2009, to disclose the affair.
In the weeks that followed, Hampton crusaded against Ensign in television interviews and by cooperating with the New York Times in a blockbuster story that October.
He portrayed himself as a victim, betrayed by his boss and former close friend. After finding him work as a lobbyist in spring 2008, Hampton said, Ensign made his aides available to him as a way to cushion the family's finances after he left his staff job several months after discovering the affair.
Hampton said that both he and Ensign were fully aware of the lobbying rules and that they decided to work around them.
But emails and other documents that were provided to news outlets in Hampton's effort to make a case against Ensign ironically might be used as evidence against him. And Ensign, who was investigated but whose lawyers said is no longer a target of federal prosecutors, probably would be called to testify at Hampton's trial. Ensign remains under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee in the case.
The Justice Department had signaled in recent months that its investigation extended beyond Ensign. But Hampton's indictment still was a startling development.
The executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that filed ethics and legal complaints against Ensign, criticized the Justice Department for pursuing Hampton while Ensign walks.
CREW's Melanie Sloan said Ensign was implicated in the case through evidence that was made public by Hampton as the scandal festered. Ensign denies breaking any laws or Senate rules in the matter. He did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
"It is an outrage that the Justice Department would choose to only prosecute Doug Hampton and not his well-documented co-conspirator Senator John Ensign," Sloan said. "The DOJ has wiped away any doubt that you really can get away with almost anything as long as you happen to be a high-ranking government official."
The Justice Department is charging that Hampton's lobbying work violated the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, a 2007 law enacted to slow the "revolving door" for top aides who leave Capitol Hill to cash in as lobbyists.
According to the indictment, Hampton left Ensign's office on May 1, 2008, and began work as a government affairs consultant. His clients were not identified by name in the indictment, but they were confirmed as Allegiant Air and NV Energy, both based in Las Vegas. Hampton no longer is a lobbyist.
NV Energy issued a brief statement through spokesman Rob Stillwell. "As we stated previously, we will cooperate with any requests for information from the government," Stillwell said. "It would not be appropriate for the company to comment further at this time."
Allegiant Air spokeswoman Tyri Squyres said the company does not want to comment on Hampton's indictment.
"It's a pending investigation," Squyres said. "It's not appropriate for us to make a comment."
The indictment alleged Hampton on behalf of the airline twice in May 2008 sought help from Ensign through a legislative aide via email to get the Department of Transportation to reconsider a fuel surcharge issue.
The indictment further alleged Hampton emailed Ensign's chief of staff three times in July 2008, seeking the senator's help to delay a Transportation Department penalty against the airline on allegations it was charging certain "convenience fees" on its website.
Though not identified by name in the indictment, Ensign's chief of staff at the time was John Lopez, who quit Ensign's office in September 2009 and is now a lobbyist with R&R Partners. He declined to comment on Thursday.
Also, on Jan. 22, 2009, Hampton was alleged to have sent an email to Lopez seeking help scheduling a meeting between Allegiant executives and new Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Further, the indictment alleged that Hampton on behalf of the power company sought Ensign's assistance via a Dec. 12, 2008, email to Lopez to persuade the Department of Interior to speed completion of an environmental study that would allow the utility to move forward on a coal-fired power plant in Ely.
Each of the seven communications translated into a count in the indictment.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Contact Review-Journal reporter Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
Timeline in the scandal involving the Ensigns, Hamptons
• Jan. 2007: Doug Hampton joins U.S. Sen. John Ensign's staff as a top aide.
• April 30, 2008: Hampton leaves Ensign's employ.
• June 11, 2009: Hampton writes a letter to Fox News disclosing an extramarital affair between his wife, Cindy Hampton, and Ensign.
• June 16, 2009: Ensign publicly admits to the affair, which occurred over eight months in 2007 and 2008.
• June 17, 2009: Ensign resigns from Senate leadership positions.
• June 24, 2009: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington files complaints with the Senate Ethics Committee and the Federal Election Commission over Ensign's conduct.
• July 9, 2009: Ensign attorney confirms that Ensign's parents gave the Hamptons $96,000 , describing the money as gifts. Now subject to Senate investigation.
• Oct. 2, 2009: New York Times reports that Ensign tried to cover up the affair by setting up Doug Hampton as a lobbyist in violation of federal law. Now subject of Senate investigation.
• Dec. 2009: Senate Ethics Committee issues document subpoenas to former Ensign aides and Nevada companies linked to the case.
• March 2010: Justice Department issues subpoenas in case.
• May 28: Ensign establishes a legal defense fund.
• Nov. 17: Federal Election Commission dismisses the complaint against Ensign pertaining to the $96,000 to the Hamptons.
• Dec. 1: Disclosure that Ensign is no longer a target of a Justice Department investigation and that no charges will be brought against him.
• Feb. 1: Senate Ethics Committee steps up its probe, hires special counsel.
• March 7: Ensign announces he will not seek re-election in 2012.
• March 9: Hampton issues a statement berating Ensign for not immediately resigning from office.
• March 24: Hampton is indicted on federal conflict of interest charges related to lobbying.
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This is hilarious. Senator Ensign "the panty guy" is the gift that keeps on giving. And Candidate Sharon Angle will take over as the gift that keeps on giving. She WILL mess up, she always does. Back to Senator Engsign. I agree with many of you. He should resign immediately and go to prison. But big bucks will get him a "get outta jail free card". In closing I believe if he does get indicted he will have to resign. Man, I am going to miss him. The guy is hilarious.
Doug Hampton violated the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act". . . Question, what honest leadership and open government act did Senator Ensign and his parents violate?
So, you lose your house to foreclosure in Nevada, but you can still afford to live in California?
Hey Doug, how does it feel now? You ratted out your wife, you got Ensign to not seek reelection, your kids are ashamed of you, your parents think that you are less than a man! Now you get to go to jail with OJ and the criminal firefighters! God Bless Nevaduh, isn't justice great!
Okay folks, some have missed the point. As Congress wrote the law, it is illegal for a former staffter to contact a Congressman, not the other way around. Therefore, Ensign didn't do anything legally wrong as Congress wrote it. I am not saying this is right, it is just the way Congress wrote it.
The Law should be changed so it affects all equally.
Hampton's hatred has cost him, instead of just carrying on with his life and accept his friend's and wife's bad judgement, this disclosure is costing him dearly. It makes me wonder what qualification Hampton really has other than relying on a friend for a job and favors. Hampton couldn't even keep his home in Las Vegas from foreclosure, that is not saying much about the man. Hatred only will bring more grief and despair. Its better to forgive and forget, and move on with improving your life. It clear that he must of forgiven his wife because they are still together. Politics ruins what honor, respect and integrity you have, but when you cheat and break the law you wonder how much of those personal qualities you really had to begin with.
N.H. You truly have no idea what you are talking about. To say Ensign's parents should go to jail for paying that guy hush money is just a ridiuclous statement. First off, there was nothing illegal whatsoever about the $96,000. It was given in $12,000 increments to each member of the family by each of Ensign's parents. $12,000 is the amount you are allowed to gift without having to pay taxes on it. Secondly, they do not have to state why they are giving someone a gift. Whose business is it? It was a private family matter and should have remained as such. And thirdly, one could hardly call it 'hush' money, since Hampton went out and blabbed about the affair to anyone that would listen. How weird is that? Who does that? He says Ensign destroyed his family; but it sure looks like he did a pretty good job of that himself. I'm not condoning what Ensign did; but he's hardly the first person in the world to have an affair. It happens. Maybe instead of talking to the media, Hampton would have been better served talking to a marriage counselor. Something's not right about this guy. Just saying.....
So the only differance is that he is the fall guy
Johnny the cheater,bible thumping pig gets to walk away scott free
welcome to nevduh
Let's see, a pimp, con artist, extortionist, possible blackmailer, liar and all around rat, good old Doug and his golfing chum, John are just a couple of regular Washington pigs! So what else is new?
I have no problem with Hampton going to jail, but WHY DOESN'T ENSIGN AND HIS RICH, CONSPIRING PARENTS GO TO JAIL? THE THREE OF THEM CONSPIRED TO LIE ABOUT A $96,000 "GIFT" WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY HUSH MONEY! I'VE BEEN THE ONLY ONE SAYING THE FEDS HAVE TO GO AFTER ENSIGN'S PARENTS, WHY DO PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK IT'S OK TO DECEIVE THE GOVERNMENT AND LIE ABOUT THE CRIMINAL PURPOSE OF THIS TRANSFER OF A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. ARE THE FEDS STUPID, OR JUST CORRUPT? I'M STARTING TO THINK THE HARRY REID, WHO I DON'T PARTICULARLY DISLIKE, HAS INSERTED HIMSELF ON ENSIGN AND HIS PARENTS BEHALF WITH THE FEDS. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY ENSIGN'S PARENTS ARE NOT BEING CHARGED WITH A CRIME!!!