FEC won't punish Ensign for cash to mistress

[The Straight Story]

FEC won't punish Ensign for cash to mistress


WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a campaign finance watchdog group's complaint against Sen. John Ensign over a $96,000 payment his parents made to his former mistress and her family.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced Friday that the commission had dismissed its complaint against Ensign, his parents, his campaign and his political action committee over the money paid to Cynthia Hampton, with whom the Nevada Republican has admitted having an affair. CREW contended it amounted to an illegal political donation to Ensign.

The FEC said in a written statement that Ensign's parents considered the April 2008 payment to Hampton, her husband and their children a gift given out of concern for longtime family friends. Hampton's husband used to be an aide to Ensign.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111904990.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. Paying for sex is legal in Nevada

[Monique1]

2. FEC is as crooked as

the repukes.

[hughee99]

3. It's kind of a stretch

while their may be other violations here, calling Ensign's parents paying off a former mistress a "political contribution" is sort of a legal stretch, IMHO.

[DCKit]

4. Not if he used political funds to make the payment. n/t

[hughee99]

5. He didn't even pay it himself (according to the article), his parents paid.

The argument was that this payment should be considered a campaign contribution