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Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 2 a.m.
John Ensign
Jeff Sharlet lived in The Family's house in 2002. "The Family began with the idea that God does not work through churches but rather through those whom The Family calls the 'New Chosen,'" he said during an interview on KNPR-FM's public affairs show "State of Nevada."
Family Values
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Sun Coverage
Sun Archives
- Justice Department: Ensign complaint should go to FBI (7-20-2009)
- Behind the closed doors on C Street (7-19-2009)
- Ethics group amends Ensign complaint over $96,000 payment (7-17-2009)
- Ensign’s $96,000 question: Severance pay or gift to Hamptons? (7-16-2009)
- In D.C., some worry Ensign saga is not over (7-15-2009)
- Ensign gives first Senate speech since acknowledging affair (7-15-2009)
- Ensign to stay in Senate, seek reelection (7-14-2009)
- Silence, not calls for Ensign to quit (7-12-2009)
- If shockers done, Ensign could stay in office, many say (7-11-2009)
- GOP support for Ensign dwindles as new details of affair emerge (7-10-2009)
- Ensign's parents gave Hampton family $96,000 (7-9-2009)
- Hampton portrays Ensign as relentless (7-9-2009)
- Ensign’s pal lacked usual qualifications for top job (7-5-2009)
Republican Sen. John Ensign took three trips paid for by an arm of the religious group The Family, which operates the C Street house that has been at the center of recent sex scandals involving the Nevadan and other elected officials.
The trips Ensign took in 2003 and 2004 to Tokyo and the Middle East were apparently allowed under congressional ethics laws that have since been rewritten to restrict privately funded travel.
But the trips have come to light as questions have arisen about the secretive group and its work with elected officials.
Ensign and Republican South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford have admitted to extramarital affairs. Both have ties to C Street. Former Republican Rep. Chip Pickering has been accused of an affair while he lived there.
Author Jeff Sharlet, whose book “The Family” includes insight from his month spent living with the organization, wrote that “The Family acts today like the most powerful lobby in America that isn’t registered as a lobby — and is thus immune from the scrutiny attending the other powerful organizations.”
Sharlet wrote this week on Salon.com that the group sends its members around the world to spread what he calls Biblical capitalism — a brand of fiscal conservatism rooted in the philosophy of the group’s founder, who believed the Great Depression was God’s punishment for the socialist leanings of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
In the group’s earlier days, it was supportive of the anti-communist campaign of Indonesian dictator Suharto, and “sent delegations of congressmen and oil executives to pray to Jesus with the Muslim leader,” Sharlet said.
In Africa, the group sent a senator and defense contractor as emissaries to Somali Siad Barre, who agreed to pray to the “American Christ in return for American military aid, which he then used to wreak biblical terror on his nation,” the author said.
Information about Ensign’s trips is limited. Ensign’s office declined to offer further details.
Travel records show that Ensign traveled twice in 2003 and once in 2004 on trips funded by the International Foundation, which is identified on tax records as part of the Fellowship Foundation, the official name of the group behind The Family.
The group provided more than $15,000 for the three trips, according to congressional travel records.
The senator went twice to Tokyo, from Aug. 26 to 31, 2003, and from Aug. 21 to 25, 2004. The purpose was described as “participation in policy dialogue and programs with Japanese government officials,” according to records compiled by Legistorm.com.
A newspaper article at the time referred to the 2004 trip as a conference on international disputes at a Mount Fuji retreat, and noted it was the second consecutive year Ensign had attended the foundation-sponsored trip. When asked about the foundation upon his return in 2004, Ensign told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I know very little about it.”
Another foundation-sponsored trip, Dec. 8-13, 2003, was to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Amman, Jordan, for “participation in fact finding trip.”
Records show the group also paid for two Republican lawmakers from the House to travel to the same Middle Eastern areas around the time of Ensign’s trip.
In all, the Fellowship Foundation has spent $95,185 paying for 20 lawmaker trips since 2000. Seventeen of those trips were taken by Republicans (including the three by Ensign) and three by Democrats.
In its nonprofit tax filing, the foundation describes its primary purpose as: “To develop and maintain an informal association of people banded together, to go out as ‘ambassadors of reconciliation,’ modeling the principles of Jesus, based on loving God and loving others. To work with the leaders of many nations.”
Professor Clyde Wilcox, who teaches government at Georgetown University, said nothing is inherently wrong with religious groups sending lawmakers abroad.
Evangelical groups, for example, took lawmakers to Africa to show them the reality of the AIDS epidemic on that continent.
“The notion you would promote religion among the leaders of a society is not outlandish,” Wilcox said. The Constitution separates church from state, it doesn’t bar religious participation.
“At some level the sort of merging of capitalism and Christian conservatism and fundamentalism — we’ve had that for a long time,” said Wilcox, who has written about religion and politics. “It’s reasonable to think groups like this have a right to exist and they can do what they want in terms of sending people around.”
Congressional ethics laws were tightened when Democrats took control of Congress in 2007, and the new law restricts privately funded travel paid for by lobbyists. Nonprofit organizations can still sponsor trips.
But if the foundation is engaging in freelance diplomacy that is lending government support to overseas leaders or granting government contracts outside of official channels, there could be concerns.
Craig Holman of the watchdog group Public Citizen notes that a loophole in the new ethics law allows nonprofit organizations to continue funding lawmaker trips.
The powerful American-Israel lobby group, AIPAC, for example, continues to send elected officials to Israel, he said.
the family pays for his trips...
mommy and daddy pay to fix his boo boos...
johnnie boy is a complete and total disgrace...
isn't it funny how often these holier than thou blowhards turn out to be frauds...
hee hee hee...
They believe the Great Depression was because of the socialist leanings of FDR? The Depression was already 3 years in when FDR took office and he wasn't a socialist.
To Pastors Ron and Paula Flores and your Las Vegas 4-Square Church:
You are the cover story for John Ensign's "closet operation" at the "C-Street Underground Mother of all Deceivers"
You don't have to feel too bad though because other denominations are being used just as you are.
However, in John Cipriani/Ensign's biography he is the only pentacostal in Congress.
Do you have Matthew 18:15-17 memorized? "... if you have problems with the conduct of your brother, go to him and confront him (just the 2 of you). If he refuses to listen, bring 1 or 2 others. If he still refuses, tell the whole church. And, finally, if he still refuses, cast him out into the world ..."
Or did you let the C-Street Gang do your dirty work?
Accountability is a two-way street!!!!!
But before this is all over, it will become an 8-lane Freeway!!!!!!
I was more than willing to give our Senator a pass until these revalations about this house on C Street started to be made public.
There are times when, we the people call our Senators offices regarding issues which may be near and dear to us. And we don't always expect the Senator to agree with our positions. When calling Senator Ensign's office I always found his staff to be very courteous, good listeners, and left me with the feeling that our Senator was willing to take ALL comments into consideration before making up his mind on any particular issue. That is his job.
I feel betrayed. Our Senator has no mind of his own.
He is a Stepford Senator, pre-progammed and open to nobody elses ideas or opinions.
These people who live at C Street revel in a privilege bestowed upon them from G-d. They can commit adulterous affairs, commit heinous crimes and all will be forgiven by G-d almighty because these particular Senators and congessmen, Democrat and Republican, who live and work at C Street don't have to answer to anybody but themselves.
They care nothing about health care. Their fervent religiocity prohibits it. Stem cell research that can help people inflicted with disease, denied by them. A pre-emptive war declared by them, a "crusade" so labled by President Bush which has spent our country out of monies that could have been spent far more wisely on our needs here at home. Taxpayer money, our hard earned dollars funneled to Vice President Cheney's former companies. The Ensign crowd.
Our Senator is a robot, not a representitive. And if C Street "family" has provided him with cover, so be it. It's expected of this cult. If his blood family, however, structured transactions as a payoff for the Senator's illegal, illicit and hypocritical behavior he should go to jail.
Stuart & Robert Wyman-Cahall
Las Vegas, NV 89142
Hey all. Today (July 23) on "Face to Face with Jon Ralston", we are talking with Jeff Sharlet, the author of "The Family". Hear what he has to say about the inner workings of the C Street house. That's at 5:30pm, 6:30pm and 8pm on Las Vegas ONE, Cox Cable Channel 19.
COMING SOON: NRA pays for Ensign trips to see Larry Craig in airport!!
Clinging to Guns, Religion, and Paid Sex (unless in the airport) is the party of fun!!
While their behavior may be legal, it certainly is not in keeping with the ideal of "serving the people". We need public servants that serve the public interest, not their own or some secretive cabal. NO to Gibbons & Ensign's re-nomination -- and if they're foolishly re-nominated, it'll be time to vote Libertarian!
This story can only get bigger and stranger. The Hamptons are still not happy. Their house is still big time upside down. What's going on at his job at the Airline? VP in charge of government relations - complete make work.
How long can Darlene Ensign stay pacified?
The "Hitler House" ("Hitler's methods are to be emulated by Christians") has ties to many repressive governments. What ties do they have to Fox news through people like former Senator Rick Sanatorium?
Ensign's "bold move" to announce for reelection sounds like something the cult house would advise as a strategy for a "chosen one."
What is the mental state of these Congressional members when they join? Are they recruited because of their weaknesses? so they can be blackmailed and manipulated? Do they have a "skull and bones" style sexual confession initiation when they join?
As people are saying, call yourself a Church (left or right), and you can lobby, fund-raise, and contribute, but avoid many laws.
I'm glad Ralston and the Sun are on this story. The other paper tried to minimize this story from the get go: a "poke-a-dillo," a "roll-in-the-hay." Then: "get everything out now," "don't let in continue to leak out."
Next, when more and more details of the story would leak out on a daily basis, they stand blinded in the headlights.
Local talk radio, is highly compromised by Ensign, since the winner of a "get your own talk show contest" was a Ensign staffer and a current Republican operative. In other parts of the country this story would be covered more intensely on local talk radio.
This could end up like a "Johnstown." The People's Temple started out with clean cut people campaigning for mainstream politicians, then with increasing paranoia devolved into chaos and death.
I love these groups that claim to be chosen. That gives them permission to do pretty anything that they please without consequence. Pretty much the story about the last eight years. Glad its finally being brought to the surface.
Folks, the senator is fine here. It's NOT illegal. It seems that some are just so filled with hate tho that they just can't see straight anymore. Looks like some are just on witch hunts. Let's move on with addressing REAL issues and fixing the economy mess. That's what matters!
This is out of the ordinary.
Finding and using loopholes is one thing. This group which isn't a registered "lobbyist" is acting like one, only under a non-profit organization. Why, Lobbyist can create "non-profits" and do the same thing!
Oh Christians, How you are failing Jesus and his teachings.
... a bunch of nuts.... all of 'em...
This business with "The Family" just gets stranger and more perverse with more information coming out almost daily.
Now he was taking paid junkets overseas on "The Family's" dime?
This story gets weirder and weirder.
Ensign should go....He's not helping the people he is suppose to represents nor is he helping the Republican Party by staying on.....
Ensign really believes that he's one of the "Chosen ones." He believes that he's not responsible to the voters of Nevada.....
John Ensign, go away....go far, far away!
The C street house is governed by a vow of sercrecy. So if sins are committed by "chosen" members, they must be kept secret. Sounds like great cover for misbehavior. Is this the place to bring your out of bounds secret sex partner because you know no one in the group can say anything to outsiders?
REGUARDING:The "DRAMA-FILLED" Lives of John Ensign and his C Sreet-"Chosen"-pals, Jim Gibbons, Oscar Goodman,and let's not forget (the young-"Women-beater/Singer"..Chris Brown),...All of these(so-called-ah-hmm-"Men"),should be given A-"ONE-WAY-TRAVEL-TICKET"-TO-"SIBERIA"!!! I hear there are alot of Lakes located there for them to gaze upon their own reflections,and just maybe,..like "NARSISIS",they will all meet the same end as he did.