Las Vegas Sun

November 21, 2009

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Ensign’s chief of staff leaving

John Lopez, Sen. John Ensign's chief of staff, is leaving the senator's employ, as first reported by Sun columnist Jon Ralston.

Lopez is described by Republican insiders as a talented staffer, particularly adept at securing appropriations for Nevada.

Lopez is a long time aide to Ensign, with him since the 1990s.

Ensign is enduring considerable duress, following revelations that he had an affair with Cynthia Hampton, a woman on his campaign staff, whose husband Doug Hampton was also former senior aide.

Also, the senator acknowledged that his parents, who are very wealthy after selling shares in casino companies, had paid the Hamptons nearly $100,000 in gifts.

Republican sources say the loss of Lopez is a bad sign for Ensign as he tries to save his political career.

Discussion: 17 comments so far...

  1. Man I hope that guy can get a job. Sucks he has to be associated with Ensign. Plus, the unemployment rate is pretty high and those jobs are competitive. And it probably doesn't help that any recommendation from his previous boss would have to come from Ensign himself.

    It would be interesting to see if such a recommendation would be sent in the form of a "scarlet letter."

  2. The rats are leaving a sinking ship. (Maybe he can work for the water district.)

    Ensign is a sick, sad, figure on the political scene. He is truly dangerous and mentally challenged. As long as he is under the influence of the "Hitler House" were he lives, his illness will fester to the breaking point.

  3. Sick, sad, perverse. There is something absolutely not right with the senator.

    You gotta believe the "sneeky" aspect of the affair gave the senator a rise. I wonder what else he has hidden in his underwear drawer?

    I gotta believe his admission into vet school was political. At one time Nevada reserved a couple spots at out of state vet schools. I wonder if Colorado State had a say in his admission or whether they were forced to accept whom ever Nevada sent?

  4. mred said.....

    "The rats are leaving a sinking ship. (Maybe he can work for the water district.)"

    My thoughts exactly.....

  5. Change him out and let's move on! Nobody wants to see him go but that's the way it goes. There's much to do. So, let's get going John!

  6. According to other news sources, GOP Lindsey Graham Cracker is now proposing new legislation to revive Yucca Mountain. Do you suppose Ensign instigated this to get his GOP cronies in Nevada to help him revive his importance????

    Well, probably. Because the GOP is all about money and not anything to do with people. Get rid of the residents of Nevada you don't have a problem.

    For them it's all about the almighty $$ and NOT people, communities or real family values. It is all part of the grand plan to remove people from Nevada and make way for a giant government-controlled area where all toxic waste and experiments can take place.

    No people? No problem.

  7. Wonder what kind of severance package he got and if mommy and daddy were involved this time. Anyone know what the going rate is to keep your mouth shut when leaving the Ensign office? Has to be more than 96 grand.

  8. Sen. Grahm Cracker has an interesting underwear drawer.

  9. Maybe he can ask Doug Hampton to return with his experience....

  10. This just could not have happened to a nicer guy.

    It's a tough spot for us Nevadan's to be in, but this could not have happened to a nicer guy.

    I can just see all those hundreds of summer tourists, beautiful American families, mommy and daddy from Keokuk with the kids walking down the long cool corridors of the Russell Senate Office Building and poking their heads into Johnny "Rotten" Ensign's office to inquire; "Pardon me, Is this Clown Alley ?!"....

    Can't we all just get along and chip in a few bucks apiece to get The Senator a pair of BIG RED FLOPPY SHOES.....

    Is Johnny really going to have a tattoo of a large cylindrical marital aid inked on his forhead.....SO THE WHOLE WORLD CAN SEE HIM COMING for the rest of his life.......OH GOD.....thank goodness you are a CHOSED ONE..........again....this could not have happened to a nicer guy. Bottom line: AMERICA IS LAUGHING AT US NEVADAN'S because of this selfish vapid pr*%k....tough beans for the chief of staff....chief of what ???, Slanker's slutty patronage pigs??...this weasal could have spilled the beans on this vile vile vile creatures reprobate activities ages ago..NOT......let him come home and live with the homeless jobless vetrans living under the freeway in Oscar's downtown....

  11. Where's all the help Senator Ensign? Seems Ensign is back to business as per usual. . . no help for the people that elected him. Where is the help Senator Ensign?

  12. Who?: Chief of Staff to Senator Ensign, John Lopez
    What?: His resignation
    When?: Now
    Where?; Ensign's Washington office
    Why?:
    Please find out why.

  13. It is interesting to note the "high-end" groups and publications linking to this story. Do they smell blood in the political waters? How's Ensign going to raise money or get quality people to work on his campaign? Do these staffers know something we don't know? I hope Mr. Ralston, etc. can get the inside scoop on this situation. Something is definitely not right with Ensign and his organization.

    Ensign seems to have an "OJ" mentality. Arrogant to the end.

    Not to be off topic but where is Hampton? His lawsuit? Is he worried about loosing his airline job? The Jackson Story and now the Boston Cop-gate story is tying up allot of the media, I wonder if Inside Edition will do another follow-up?

  14. The problem with the Nuke Dump is in the Theory of Mathmatical Certainty.

    If the other 49 states want Nevada to be the site of the Nuke Dump, what do you think will happen? Nevada WILL be the site for nuclear waste, whether we want it or not. Since it's coming to Nevada eventually, we might as well get every dime we can get from them (Federal Government) for bringing it to us. Maybe we can charge them fees like Relocation fees, since some of us Nevadans will want to move away. At least we might get some jobs out of it, eh?

  15. I'm sure Mr. Lopez can get a nice cushy gig with Alliegent Airlines. Oh wait, that's only if his wife was sleeping with the Senator. Ensign '12 is SO not happening. Maybe he can read the writing on the wall and resign like his chief of staff. Just a matter of time. The 4th or 5th shoe is ready to drop anytime now.

  16. (*;*)...WELL, IT IS SAID:"EVERYTHING-HAPPENS-FOR-A-REASON"...So perhaps now we will learn("THE-TRUTH") about "WHAT'S-UP"?...oops,(no puns intended)..."INSIDE"...oops,.."The Family-Fundamentalists"-House-"ON"..oops,...C-Street..."IN"...oops...Washington,DC.!... BUT,...oops,..SERIOUSLY,.."FULL-DISCLOSURE"..oops,..IS-"COMEIN">SOON!...(*o*).."Oh..ooow-YEAH-ahhh-BAB'E-eeee! XOXOXOX...Then it's-"Bye-Bye-Badguys!"

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