Sen. Ensign Resigns GOP Leadership Post After Admitting Affair

FOX News ^ | June 17, 2009 | Trish Turner and Carl Cameron

[MaestroLC]

The Republican senator who went public a day earlier about an extramarital affair has resigned his GOP leadership post on Wednesday.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., stepped down as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth-ranking GOP position in the Senate, after holding a brief news conference Tuesday to come clean about his affair with a former aide. He is not expected to resign from the Senate.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., confirmed the move Wednesday afternoon.

"He's accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized to his family and constituents. He offered, and I accepted, his resignation as chairman of the policy committee," the Kentucky senator said.

Several reasons contributed to Ensign's decision to step down from his post, according to a Senate GOP leadership aide. They included the likelihood of a persistent media firestorm stemming from his admission Tuesday; growing irritation within the conference regarding other distractions; and the possibility that more damaging information could emerge regarding the affair.

Sources told FOX News the admission was prompted by a blackmail threat. Two Senate Republican sources close to Ensign said a former employee had asked Ensign for money in what both sources described as a case of "extortion."

The employee, Doug Hampton, worked in Ensign's Senate office, and his wife, Cindy Hampton, worked for Ensign's re-election campaign. Both ceased working for the senator shortly after the affair ended, the sources said, with Cindy Hampton receiving a severance package. The circumstances of Doug Hampton's departure remain unclear.

Ensign expressed regret Tuesday for his actions.

[Munz]

if it ever gets noticed by the msm at all ...

[RetiredArmy]

Behaving like a Dimocrat. What was it with Klinton? It is just sex and it is a private matter, yet the Marxist press will play it up big time.

[americanophile]

Indeed.

[dfwgator]

WE ought to be merciless when elected officials betray the public trust and the Constitutional limits on government,but we just might want to stop trying to insist on perfect people as officeholders.I'm afraid there is a shortage and we will have to make do with not-quite-perfect humans.

I'm not asking for perfect, just for people whose word is their bond. He broke the biggest promise he'll ever make in life, why should he be trusted on anything else?

[americanophile]

I’m not sure why this is regarded as anything other than an attempt by Ensign to unload his negatives in preparation for a 2012 run from the presidency; a tried and true strategy.

[Lazamataz]

Why does he resign but Clinton rolled along?

[Lazamataz]

If you're going to have an affair,at least have the minimal sense to pick an unmarried lover.

Won't work. Unmarried women are getting proper attention from their suitors.

Married ones usually aren't.

[a fool in paradise]

Perhaps the blackmailer pimped his wife. He certainly found value in their affair after the fact.

Wasn’t the “teenager” who outed Mark Foley was a Democrat aide? The DNC shared the IMs (which were saved) with the media in the springtime and then sat on them until the fall election only to proclaim that the GOP “knew and did nothing” (just like the media and DNC).

Entrapment doesn’t excuse the behavior but more seems to be afoot than mere sex.

[FreepShop1]

He is not expected to resign from the Senate.

LOL. Ted Kennedy killed a woman and didn't resign. Why should Ensign resign for shtupping a woman while he was separated from his wife? What a big yawn this is, except its a Republican, so to the MSM it is a BIG DEAL.

[napscoordinator]

I smell a liberal-inspired set-up.

You think? Seriously? Do you think the liberal took the two married creeps out for drinks...got them a hotel...took off their clothes...forced them to have sex...and then said tell everyone or I will. That is quite a story you believe. ROTFLMAO.

[a fool in paradise]

If you're going to have an affair,at least have the minimal sense to pick an unmarried lover.

How'd that work for John Edwards (D)?

[Lazamataz]

Wow, look at how many times they used the word Republican in that excerpt compared to Jefferson who’s trial started today for the cash in the freezer case, there it was used one time in the whole article.

The Republican senator (Republican) who had Republican GOP tendencies and a Republican (R) record of Republican votes, went public to Republicans a Republican day earlier about a Republican (GOP) extramarital affair wih a Republican woman(R) who is known to be a member of the GOP, has Republicanly resigned his Republican GOP leadership post on Wednesday. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev, Republican, stepped down as GOPS chairman of the Republican Policy Committee (R).

Republican.

[AliVeritas]

Bingo.

[americanophile]

"WE ought to be merciless when elected officials betray the public trust and the Constitutional limits on government,but we just might want to stop trying to insist on perfect people as officeholders. I'm afraid there is a shortage and we will have to make do with not-quite-perfect humans."

I agree, though not irrelevant, this preoccupation with personal lives contrasted with a surprisingly cavalier attitude toward their public actions is strangely misplaced.

[staytrue]

They included the likelihood of a persistent media firestorm stemming from his admission Tuesday

Everyone thinks republicans don't understand that the media is hostile. Here is one who does. Yes, persistant media firestorm is accurate and possibly and understatement.

[Mad-Margaret]

the possibility that more damaging information could emerge regarding the affair.

Hmmm.... That line is intriguing. Maybe there is more to this. I haven't been in the camp calling for his resignation. I mean, he was separated at the time of the affair, and although he shouldn't have been messing with a married staffer, I really didn't see it as a fatal mistake.

Wonder why we haven't had any statements from the Hamptons, or any details of Doug Hampton's departure from the senator's office.

[Abathar]

Hey Laz, I didn’t know you moonlighted for AP...

[Jewbacca]

On the bright side, at least he isn’t queer.

[Bokababe]

"I’m having trouble getting all worked up because Ensign had a fling with an adult woman while he was separated from his wife. Let the liberals get in a hypocritical lather about it, I just don’t care. He shouldn’t resign from anything."

Absolutely agree. He didn't do anything illegal. The rest is between him, his wife and God. It's none of our business.

I can't speak directly about Ensign, but this is the general danger that the Party is put in when they use religion and "family values" as buzzwords in campaigns. When and if a "family values" politician falls from grace, the Libs hang him with his own rope. It's the same thing that they've done with Sarah Palin and her unmarried daughter getting pregnant.

[mad_as_he$$]

I know Ensign and have worked on three of his campaigns. He IS not a guy who goes out and trumpets family values and never has been. He is about the foolishness in DC and how to remove as much of it as possible.