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Doug Hampton is a former senior aide to Sen. John Ensign and is married to the woman with whom the senator admitted to having an affair.
Published Wednesday, March 9, 2011 | 2:02 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, March 9, 2011 | 3:02 p.m.
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- Coolican: John Ensign could no longer ignore reality
- Senate majority left swinging after John Ensign resignation (3-8-2011)
- John Ensign will retire after term to avoid ‘exceptionally ugly’ campaign (3-7-2011)
- Gravel pit bill’s aside: 2012 political posturing (3-7-2011)
- Dean Heller’s message: Senate seat is mine to lose (2-16-2011)
- Rep. Dean Heller takes poll, leads Sen. John Ensign by 15, inches closer to announcement (2-15-2011)
- Facing re-election bid, will John Ensign be left in the cold? (2-1-11)
- Senate Ethics Committee appoints special counsel in John Ensign case (2-1-11)
- John Ensign in awkward position headed toward 2012 elections (1-13-2011)
- Challengers not the lone hurdle in Ensign’s 2012 campaign (12-5-2010)
- Justice Department clears John Ensign, but how will voters react? (12-1-2010)
- Justice Department halts John Ensign probe (12-1-2010)
- Election Commission won’t punish John Ensign for cash to mistress (11-19-2010)
- Fellow Republicans call for John Ensign’s resignation (4-9-2010)
- Deconstructing the facade of John Ensign (4-5-2010)
- John Ensign faces ethics complaint over apartment rent rate (4-1-2010)
- John Ensign: Press has been unfair (3-25-2010)
- Grand jury subpoenas issued in John Ensign probe (3-18-2010)
- E-mails link Sen. John Ensign to job effort tied to mistress' husband (3-10-2010)
The man whose wife had a monthslong affair with Sen. John Ensign said in a rare statement Wednesday that the Republican should immediately resign to shield the family from an ongoing ethics investigation stemming from the extramarital relationship.
Doug Hampton, Ensign's former co-chief of staff, said Ensign's "callousness and lack of remorse" has prolonged the anguish caused by the 2008 affair.
Ensign announced on Monday that he wouldn't pursue a third term to protect his wife and children from "exceptionally ugly" campaign attacks. The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating whether Ensign tried to hide the affair by securing Hampton a lobbying job.
Hampton said he, his wife and others close to them are being forced to cooperate with the investigation, a process that continues to reopen old wounds.
"His selfish, steadfast refusal to resign immediately prolongs the pain and anguish he caused," Hampton said. "It also requires us to continue to cooperate with the Senate Ethics investigation, including disrupting our lives by requiring myself, Cindy and others close to us to return to Washington D.C. to be deposed."
Hampton dismissed the ethical questions driving the investigation. Ensign's parents provided the Hampton family with $96,000 described as a gift and federal criminal law prohibits congressional aides from lobbying their ex-bosses or office colleagues for one year after departing their Hill jobs.
"The cost to the taxpayers of this fruitless exercise flies in the face of John's claim of being fiscally conservative and a protector of the taxpayer's money, much like his affair with my wife flew in the face of his claim to moral righteousness," Hampton said.
Daniel Albregts, a Las Vegas lawyer representing the Hamptons, told The Associated Press that Doug and Cindy Hampton have both been subpoenaed and could return to Washington soon.
"It's imminent," he said.
Albregts declined to name the others who have been questioned or discuss investigators' questions.
The Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission also investigated the scandal, then dropped the cases with little explanation. The Senate ethics panel, however, recently named a special counsel to look into the matter.
Ensign's spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Albregts said the Hamptons recently relocated to California to start a new life together, but Ensign's continued presence in Washington - a constant reminder of the affair - has prolonged their healing process.
"They lost everything," Albregts said. "They are trying to rebuild their lives."
Ensign acknowledged the relationship with Cindy Hampton in June 2009. The Ensigns and the Hamptons had been close friends and Cindy Hampton also worked for Ensign in Washington.
The affair and the legal problems that followed ended talk that Ensign might make a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and forced him to resign his position as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
Through it all, Ensign insisted he would seek re-election until his announcement on Monday, when he reiterated that he had not violated any laws or ethics rules. He also said the investigation did not influence his decision to retire from politics after 2012.
"If I was concerned about that I would have resigned, because that would make the most sense because then it goes away," Ensign said.
Grow up you two year old....Your wife is not totally blameless in this mess! She allowed it to happen!!!
He should sue Ensign for legal expenses. Is Hampton still a "Famiy Values" Christian conservative republican? Maybe Fox will give him a job.
I don't get it. It takes two to tango, right?
Hampton NEVER claimed to be a phony "Christian Values Person", ENSIGN DID! It's about time Doug Hampton spoke up! Good for You Doug!!!
Have some dignity and some sack. Dump the woman, forget about her and Ensign and move on with your life.
isthis4real...Have you ever worked for a abusive boss who threatens you? NO??? Ask your wife what she's done to save her job.
olbuddy... you don't know if he dumped her or not, as far as Ensign goes, if I were Doug Hampton I would make it my life's ambition to destroy his career so he could not do this again to another man's wife. Ha Ha Ensign, I would applaud your resignation based upon the fact that you paid "hush" money..oops..sorry, your mommy and daddy did. Ensign, you are nothing but a white collar criminal!!!
My take on this guy's tragedy is what happens when somebody lies to your face, kicks you in the teeth and tells you they love you.
What's a traumatized human SUPPOSED to do?? Anything he can!
He and his wife may have had issues, but, come on!
This is the other shoe that's going to drop.
You can bet Sandogibbons is compiling a list of people he may choose to replace Ensign when the inevitable resignation is announced.
Doug Hampton should grow a pair and become a man. Don't do your fighting in the media. A real man would have done two things. Whoop Ensign's butt and kick your cheating wife out on the street. Just remember one thing Dougie, Ensign didn't hold a gun to your wife's head, she hit the sheets on her own free will. You should have been taking care of busines and the affair would never have happened unless you forced her to do it so scam money.
Both wives are pretty hot....just throw me in there somewhere.
What do you bet there's a PRICE for this Senate seat, ala Blago?
"Yes, governor, I'll see the $500,000 and raise it a quickie with my daughter, the one you always liked."
I guess Doug may be a better man than me because I would have stomped John's Butt and then tossed my wife's tail on the street. You know every time Doug goes to kiss her that image of her doing well...... will come across his mind and it has to lay heavily on his mind. And you know that John's Wife is thinking the same thing like don't kiss me with those lips I know where they have been. Yep it's like swapping partners.
And I don't know what Doug's wife looks like but John's wife is pretty hot buddy yes sirre she is a good looking mother I like to go out with if I were single.
freddieray... he is "kicking" Ensign's butt, but not as a street gang banger. Get it?
Alex still not the same as feeling your knuckles opening up his lips and hanging a sign on his eye closed for the weekend. lol
Can anyone else hear that ZZ TOP song in the background "Pearl Necklace"
I think that John should resign too.
That should help Heller and it will help Heller's Republican replacement.
Yeah...John please resign.
Clearly Ensign is an idiot,...he's proved that over and over,...but why cheat on a wife that looks like his? If she was smart,...she'd be divorcing him as fast as she could. It would serve Johnny right.
I have problems feeling sorry for a man that was more then happy to take the big payday from Mr. Ensigns parents after he found out his wife was playing around with Mr. Ensign.
Maybe if he returned all that money I might gain a bit of respect for him.
It takes two to play, his wife was on board for the play and the payday.
alex2...i said dump her, i didnt say he dumped her. product of the clark county school district reading program?
Senator Ensign, was that poontang worth it?
:-)
Mr. Hampton,
If you're so offended then why don't you divorce your wife? I'm not condoning his behavior but at the end of the day, you and your wife are the ones that exchanged vows NOT you and Mr. Ensign. It was your wife's duty to protect you and your family NOT Mr. Ensign. YOUR wife destroyed your family and Mr. Ensign destroyed his. Now that you have fled to California you don't have to worry about us Nevadans. We'll live with the guy that we elected and we'll pick up the pieces of the broken mess your wife left behind.
Seems to me that you are more upset about the fact that you are going to continue to be investigated (as you should be) for extortion rather than Nevadans having a hypocrite for a senator.
Ensign shoulda used a cigar. Instead he opted for full pleasure. I hope it was worth it.
The old Garcia-Vega cigar commercials should be recycled as an Ensign documentary.
Haha! He's doin it AGAIN!
C_Bess,
you're a piece of work.
That first paragraph is poster art of the highest caliber. Thanks for the yukks!
Whatever you're smokin is primo. Wherever you walk, the flowers bloom and wave.
Alex thinks that Doug is kicking Ensign's butt by being in the media. All that he's doing is showing Nevada what a weak man he is. I have no respect for a whimp like Doug Hampton. 8 News here's an idea, get an interview with Mrs. Hampton. I'll bet that George Knapp can get to the bottom of this. For now keep that weak wimp Doug Hampton out of the news. He should be ashamed to show his face. Now Doug is going to Washington to be deposed, they should charge him with pandering.
John Ensign should resign. This is the right thing to do. An elected official breaking the trust of the voters must be held accountable. Ensign must resign, today!
Freddie - shame shame that you tell this guy he 'should have done his job' in order to keep wifey from straying.... there are some people - men AND women who are just PIGS - it wouldn't matter how much the spouse did or didn't do - these PIGS wouldn't have been happy and would have cheated just the same - I hate to see a man OR woman blamed as 'not doing their job' as it pertains to keeping their spouse happy - that doesn't constitute a legitimate reason to cheat and should NEVER be thrown in ANYONE'S face. Shame.