Senate ethics committee finds Ensign ‘violated laws,’ sends findings to Justice Department

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: Washington Post

The Senate ethics committee has made a criminal referral to the Justice Department in its investigation into former Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), saying that its probe found that he had broken the law in his actions following his affair with a political aide.

“We had reason to believe Senator Ensign violated laws,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), the chairman of the panel, said Thursday afternoon.

The ethics committee found that Ensign “aided and abetted violations of the one-year post-employment contact restriction; conspired to violate that restriction; made false statements to the Federal Election Commission; violated campaign finance laws; and obstructed the committee’s preliminary inquiry.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ethics-committee-to-unveil-ensign-probe-findings-in-senate-speeches/2011/05/12/AFhRvA0G_story.html

[JTFrog]

1. K&R!

[shraby]

2. Old Ensign was riding high on power wasn't he? Question I have

is why didn't the Justice Department find anything and then drop their investigation.

[Iliyah]

3. Nothing

will happen. Maybe a few more embarssing details, thats about it.

[lark]

4. Next question, will they also indict his FAMILY co-conspirators?

It should happen, but don't think it will.

[indepat]

5. Look for Justice to hop all over this like ugly on an ape

:patriot:

[madmom]

6. Ethics Committee refers Ensign case to Justice

Source: Associated Press

Former Sen. John Ensign of Nevada made false statements to the Federal Election Commission and obstructed a Senate Ethics Committee's investigation into his conduct, the panel said Thursday in a scathing report that sent the matter to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation....

....."When Sen. Ensign resigned he said and I quote, 'I have not violated any law, rule or standard of conduct,'" committee Chairman Barbara Boxer told the Senate. "I want to go on record ... to say how strongly I disagree with that statement."

The committee has been investigating Ensign for 22 months. The Senate cannot punish a member no longer serving, but the referrals ensure that investigation of Ensign will go on for some time.....



Read more: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/05/12/general-us-ensign_8464164.html

[WCGreen]

7. Send this guy to jail....

[valerief]

8. Justice. That always makes me laugh. nt

[Qutzupalotl]

9. Keeping Ensign in the news is good. n/t

[cayanne]

10. Hope it brings down Tom Coburn too. NT

NT

[liberalla]

11. The first 20 minutes of Rachel Maddow is on Ensign...

with lots of juicy details. Catch the rerun if you can.

[thereismore]

12. YES! nt

[thereismore]

13. C Street filth! Now get Coburn's ass too. nt

[No Elephants]

14. Cosa Nostra, er, I mean, The Family. They're international, evil and powerful.

[hughee99]

15. Good for them.

It's good to see this sort of stuff handled as a criminal matter. Republican politicians who break laws should be subject to the same rules as everyone else.