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Republicans subpoenaed in Ensign probe
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., speaks to reporters in this file photo from January 2009. A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas related to a probe of Ensign, who is under scrutiny for his efforts to find lobbying work for the husband of his former mistress.
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Updated: Apr. 1, 2010 | 9:48 p.m.
WASHINGTON -- High-powered Republicans in Washington and Nevada are being pulled into investigations of Sen. John Ensign and allegations he violated federal law by trying to obtain lobbying work for the husband of his mistress.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury to provide documents from when Ensign was its chairman and having an extramarital affair with the wife of Doug Hampton, one of his top aides.
Powerful Nevada Republicans Sig Rogich and Pete Ernaut also disclosed Thursday receiving subpoenas stemming from probes into the allegations that Ensign tried to illegally solicit lobbying contracts from Nevada firms for his former aide. Ensign has acknowledged a nine-month extramarital affair with Cindy Hampton, who was also in the senator's employ, from December 2007 to August 2008.
The issuance of subpoenas by the U.S. Department of Justice in addition to the Senate Ethics Committee indicates a new phase in the investigations, casting further doubt on the political future of Ensign, who a year ago was a rising GOP star.
Rogich, who was an adviser to President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush, said he received subpoenas from the Senate Ethics Committee and the Department of Justice. He said the subpoenas were seeking any documentation of communication with Ensign and Doug Hampton, of which Rogich said he had little.
Rogich said Ensign called about a year ago and asked whether Rogich would meet Hampton. The meeting occurred at the office of Rogich Communications in Las Vegas but was short and didn't end with any work for Hampton.
"I never met him before, I've never seen him after," Rogich said. "John Ensign asked if I would meet with him. I met with him, and I said I had no job for him.
"It was literally a 10-minute meeting."
Ernaut, president of R&R Partners, who has been a consultant to Ensign and former Gov. Kenny Guinn, said he too received a subpoena.
He said the Ethics Committee, but not the Justice Department, sought information from him, business partner Billy Vassiliadis and the firm R&R Partners.
Ernaut said Ensign never asked him or R&R to give Hampton work.
He described the subpoena request as broad.
"The nature of the subpoena is an extremely wide and general document request of any e-mails that have ever been sent between me, our company or my partner Billy to John Ensign, to NV Energy, to most of the folks that are on that list," Ernaut said.
The two-term senator, who turns 52 on March 25, has become a somewhat isolated figure in the Senate, fighting to be heard on health care and other issues while some colleagues are hesitant to be seen with him, according to reports in the Capitol Hill press.
One Nevada Republican insider who didn't want to be identified by name said people in political circles are angry at Ensign over the entire episode.
"What he has done is jeopardize a U.S. Senate seat and bring embarrassment to his state, not to mention subpoenas to people who have nothing to do with it," the insider said.
Some companies that have been linked to the probe said they would be cooperating with authorities.
An official with one company who spoke on the condition of anonymity said investigators had subpoenaed documents but had not asked for testimony in person.
Ennio Ponzetto, CEO of eCommLink, said officials at his company were cooperating with authorities.
"We are fully cooperating with the authorities on this and disclosing all information," Ponzetto said. "I need to defend my business and the business of the company. There is absolutely a high ethical standard with the company."
NV Energy officials issued a statement saying "we will cooperate with any federal review." It is one of the companies where Ensign is said to have solicited work for Hampton.
In an e-mail from Hampton to Ensign posted by The New York Times in October, Hampton complained Ensign merely "made a two-minute phone call to (NV Energy President and CEO) Michael Yackira of which I could have made."
In the same e-mail, Hampton did credit Ensign for helping him land a job at Allegiant Travel Co., a Las Vegas-based airline. Officials at Allegiant wouldn't comment on whether they had been served with a subpoena.
Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, confirmed the group's subpoena but did not provide further details. The committee's general counsel, Sean Cairncross, said the committee "has responded appropriately to questions concerning matters related to the 2008 election cycle time frame."
Apart from acknowledging his affair with Cindy Hampton last June, Ensign has maintained he did nothing illegal or improper in aiding Doug Hampton. An ethics law prohibits senior aides from lobbying the Senate for a year after leaving their posts.
"Senator Ensign is confident he has complied with all ethics rules and laws and will cooperate with any official inquiries," spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher said. She would not comment on any contact that Ensign or any members of his current staff might have had with investigators.
Thursday's disclosures came on the heels of a report by KLAS-TV that several businesses in Las Vegas had received subpoenas for documents in recent days.
A copy of a redacted subpoena posted to the KLAS-TV Web site orders the recipient to provide any documents related to Ensign; the Hamptons; former Ensign chief of staff John Lopez; and Michael and Lindsey Slanker, a married couple who were Ensign's longtime political advisers in Nevada and also in Washington when he led the senatorial committee.
The subpoena tells the recipient to report March 31 to grand jury chambers at U.S. District Court in Washington.
A spokeswoman at the Washington field office of the FBI, which is listed as a contact on the subpoena, said the agency had no comment.
It has been reported that the Senate Ethics Committee had issued subpoenas to Lopez and Mike Slanker and also to NV Energy.
Ensign's affair took place during the time he headed the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the fundraising and political strategy arm of the Senate GOP caucus.
Mike Slanker, who was a successful political consultant in Nevada as head of November Inc., a GOP firm, was brought to Washington by Ensign to serve as the committee's political director while his partner Lindsey Slanker was its chief fundraiser.
During the spring and summer of 2008, the Hamptons' son Brandon was hired as an intern at the committee, earning $1,000 per month.
Sources said investigators might be seeking relevant committee e-mails from the 2007-2008 period to or from Ensign and the Slankers.
Apart from whether Ensign improperly aided Hampton in finding work, investigators also are thought to be looking into a $96,00 check that Ensign's parents made out to the Hamptons in April 2008.
Although an attorney for Ensign has described the money as a gift, Doug Hampton has alleged it was intended as severance pay for his wife that was not properly reported on federally required campaign forms.
Doug Hampton was administrative assistant on Ensign's staff in Washington, and Cindy Hampton worked for Ensign's political committees until they left his employ at the end of April 2008, after Doug Hampton insisted the extramarital relationship be brought to an end.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
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Rogich and Ernaut are Republicans? Sure could have fooled me!
We are scheduling an Indictment Party and Barbecue at the very North-West corner of Sunset Park at the corner of Sunset and Eastern AND ALL ARE WELCOME!
FREE CHAR GRILLED HOT DOGS and soda will be provided.
There will be Frisbee games, karaoke, volleyball and a raffle.
Prizes will be awarded in age categories for those children submitting the best hand-drawn or painted anti-hypocrite illustrations / posters.
A fun time will be had for all.
Stay tuned. As soon as Ensign is indicted we will set the date!
Why, this story can't possibly be true. John Ensign is a "Promise Keeper" for heaven's sake! Tsk Tsk Tsk LVRJ for spreading such malicious rumors about such a fine upstanding politician! ;-)
Whether Ensign was having an affair or not..
You don't think these politicians help out their friends and family with jobs? You don't think Harry, Dina, Raggio, and all the rest don't do this kinda crap too? THEY ALL DO IT, and THEY ALL NEED TO BE FIRED!!!
Guarantee you that if HARRY loses this fall he won't be living in Searchlight, he will be in D.C. working for some law firm as a lobbyist.
There needs to be a law passed that restricts ANYONE in public office for currying "favors". There also needs to be a law that you cannot work for or lobby for any contacts you had with "government needs" nor can you have anything to do PERIOS with government for 10 years after you are out of office. We have got to stop the sickening way our political system currently works.
GET RID OF THEM ALL!!!