Did you know that Senator John Ensign contacted NV Energy and asked CEO Michael Yackira to "hire" his mistress' husband? NV Energy and its executives, which had already poured over $50,000 into the senator's political causes, agreed to this unusual request.
Former aide to Sen. John Ensign indicted by feds
March 24, 2011
Written by Pete Yost, AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nevada Sen. John Ensign’s former administrative assistant, whose wife had an affair with the senator, was indicted Thursday for allegedly lobbying Ensign and his staff in violation of federal conflict of interest laws.
Douglas Hampton is charged in connection with lobbying he did on behalf of a Las Vegas airline company and an energy company.
Federal law prohibits a senior Senate aide from lobbying the Senate for one year after terminating employment.
The affair with Hampton’s wife has sidetracked the Republican senator’s political career. Ensign announced this month that he would not seek a third term.
Ensign has said the affair with Cynthia Hampton began during a rocky time in his marriage in December 2007 and continued until August 2008. Cynthia and Doug Hampton left their jobs with Ensign in May 2008.
When Hampton found out about the affair between his wife, Cynthia, and the senator, Ensign helped line up jobs for Hampton with campaign donors.
According to the indictment, Hampton lobbied on behalf of a low-cost airline carrier in Las Vegas, Allegiant Air, and for the largest electricity provider in Nevada, NV Energy.
Hampton’s lawyer, Dan Albregts, did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.
A call to Ensign’s office was not immediately returned.
The indictment marks the second reversal of fortune for people involved in the Justice Department inquiry, which followed revelations of Ensign’s affair with Hampton’s wife.
Ensign himself came under investigation in the Justice Department’s probe, focusing on whether he conspired with Hampton to violate the lobbying restriction.
Last December, the department disclosed to the senator that it no longer viewed him as a target in the probe.
On behalf of Allegiant, says the indictment, Hampton sought the assistance of Ensign and a legislative aide to Ensign to convince the U.S. Transportation Department to reconsider its position on a fuel surcharge pricing issue. Hampton allegedly sought the assistance of Ensign and his staff to help schedule a March 2009 meeting involving the secretary of transportation and executives from the airline company.
On behalf of NV Energy, the indictment stated, Hampton sought the assistance of Ensign and his chief of staff to expedite the release of a U.S. Interior Department environmental impact statement regarding a company coal-fired power plant.
