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By Karoun Demirjian (contact) 
Published Thursday, June 7, 2012 | 8 a.m.
Updated Thursday, June 7, 2012 | 10:37 a.m.
Doug Hampton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Thursday morning for breaking a rule requiring former congressional aides to refrain from lobbying their bosses for at least a year after departing a lawmaker’s office.
Hampton, a former senior aide to then-Sen. John Ensign, entered the misdemeanor plea in lieu of a felony charge on the first of seven counts against him in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. He faces a sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $100,000, plus processing charges.
As part of the plea deal, the government agreed to drop the other six charges and will not seek any jail time as part of the sentence, though the judge, Beryl Howelll, retains the right to sentence him to jail if she sees fit.
The judge also could order Hampton to pay restitution, if she determines there are victims of his actions who should be paid.
Howell won’t deliver a sentence until Sept. 5.
Hampton will remain free until then. He will be subject to a series of meetings with parole officers as they draw up a presentencing report for the judge.
Hampton started to run afoul of the law after he learned that his wife, Cynthia Hampton, had been carrying on an affair with his best friend and boss, former senator John Ensign. As Ensign attempted to keep the scandal from going public and still get the Hamptons out of his employ, he worked to help Hampton secure lobbying contracts, including for Nevada-based Allegiant Air.
According to a Senate Ethics Committee report from last year that documented what followed, Hampton began exchanging lobbying-type communications with Ensign before he was even fully off the Senate payroll — and the Ethics committee concluded that in fact, Ensign and Hampton had intended from the start that Hampton would use his leverage with Ensign to lobby his former boss on behalf of the new clients without regard for the legal restrictions.
Ensign left Congress at the height of the scandal, but the Justice Department never charged him with any wrongdoing — it’s only been Hampton who has had to face a legal reckoning, for the last year and a half, for breaking the cooling-off period rule on lobbying.
Hampton and his lawyer A.J. Kramer looked relaxed and composed during the plea hearing, as Hampton pled guilty to breaking “the post-employment restrictions for a former Senate staff member” and stated that he had knowingly communicated with Ensign’s office as a lobbyist after less than one year following the termination of his employment with the senator, “with the intent to influence” political decision-making.
Hampton asserted several times during the proceeding that he fully understood the significance of the pleas, and added he was “absolutely” satisfied with his representation during the case.
But he and his lawyer were more tight-lipped than usual as they exited the courtroom, declining to answer reporters’ questions about the deal or offer any reaction to the morning’s hearing.
Though his case is almost over, this is in many ways the most nerve-wracking part of the proceedings for Hampton. His plea of guilty and his admission that he illegally lobbied Ensign with full knowledge of his actions is final -- with it, he gave up all rights to appeal, to petition a jury, or have any recourse against the judge’s next steps, provided she stays within the confines of the law in issuing her sentence.
“You have no right to withdraw your plea just because your sentence may be more sever than you would have liked,” Judge Howell reminded Hampton on Thursday.
Without the government seeking a tough sentence, however -- and considering that Hampton has no criminal history -- it’s likely he will avoid jail time.
Why wasn't he arrested for pimping out his wife??
Ensign?? Diden t they say 3 years back that he was on the short list for the GOP to run against Obama?
:-)
How come a bit player in this whole thing is prosecuted, but the biggest fish of all Ensign hides and gets away with setting all this in motion?
Don't get me wrong, Mr. Hampton is facing the music and is now judged guilty. He's facing the music.
But Ensign STARTED all this crap. He brought shame to everyone immediately surrounding him, caused people to lose jobs, and brought shame and embarassment to not only Nevada, but the entire nation.
How come he's out walking around and no one cares? I'm very sure there is something criminal he can be charged with. If not, give him a medal. Make a statue of him and praise him as the best thing to happen to Las Vegas since Elvis.
Something.
Anything.
One thing for sure, politics in Nevada is a lot different than anywhere else. Somebody is involved with something like this and everyone goes, eh, no big whoop, it happens, it's politics, it's Nevada, when's the next time Pawn Stores is on TV?
Really, really dumb. There are cries for justice out here, but nobody has turned up their hearing aids and is listening.
Typical...
The 'little guy' gets spanked, but the BIG FISH gets a pass.
This whole affair is on JOHN ERIC ENSIGN...
and it was a WHOPPER; he should have been expelled from the Senate (instead of being allowed to resign) and he should be facing a few felonies, but that ain't the way it works...if you got dough, or your DADDY HAS DOUGH, you can 'buy' justice.
That sucks.
Typical...
The liberals want their misdeeds brushed under a rug, but can't wait to hang a Republican.
They are probably cheering that Edwards was found not guilty on one count and hung on the others. That is the true WHOPPER!
Hairy Tic:
This story and its families and the people like you who try to minimize it like you do encapsulates all that is wrong with the right wing in this country.
You are bullies and even when caught being immoral and home wrecking and family wrecking and paying hush money you will still defend your ideologues and belittle everyone who won't smirk like you do.
America will find a way to get around your collective selfishness. Your side has some ideas that should be heard. This ugliness you and the other teabagger types display here causes the situation to get worse every day.
You all keep saying we are out of step. I think it is your shoes.
For the rest of this weekend please view reality here: http://www.dailykos.com/blog/nnlive/
JeffFromVegas,
So you totally discount the Edwards mess....go figure!
btw, great Red Rock Pix :-)
JeffFromVegas,
One more thing....sorry, not a member of the Tea Party.
Lastly, dailyKos??? Dude, that drivel should be in crayon.
Hairy Tic Said:
"So you totally discount the Edwards mess....go figure!
btw, great Red Rock Pix :-)
One more thing....sorry, not a member of the Tea Party.
Lastly, dailyKos??? Dude, that drivel should be in crayon."
I say:
Thank God Edwards was outed as an adulterer. His betrayal of his wife was worse than Gingrich divorcing his ex while she was getting Chemo, or maybe it wasn't. They all 3 suck, Ensign, Edwards, and Gingrich.
That was an interesting weather day. I got lucky, thanks.
I will take you at your word you aren't a teabagger, my apologies for assuming it.
It is Netroots Nation. They are all great Americans there. Watch for a year or two...
Ahhhh...politcal crimes can expect swift and severe justice. My faith in our system is now fulfilled.
JeffFromVegas, with your stand on Edwards there is hope for you.
For the record, I think that Ensign is a bottom feeder. My concern with this parasite (Hampton) in particular is that HE KNEW about his wife and didn't do anything but ask for money......bad actor!
I am as far from a Tea Party person as you could get. I am socially liberal but fiscally conservative.
When is the Ensign doing lock-up time?
Jeffy: Have you been reading my posts again? Seems you're picking up some of my vocabulary. Go figure.