Lookie Lookie! Hampton plea deal means criminal charges coming for Ensign???

[malaise]

http://www.lvrj.com/news/doug-hampton-reaches-plea-deal-on-illegal-lobbying-charges-151615365.html
<snip>
Federal prosecutors have reached a plea agreement on illegal lobbying charges against Doug Hampton, the former Las Vegan and U.S. Senate aide tied to the sex and corruption scandal that sank the political career of former Sen. John Ensign, according to sources and court records.

The deal expected to be outlined in federal court early next month could signal the end is near for a piece of the saga that dominated headlines for close to two years in Nevada before Ensign, a once thriving Republican, gave up a fight to stay in office and resigned in May 2011, days before he was to testify to Senate ethics investigators.

The scandal that was ignited by an affair between Ensign and Hampton's wife, Cindy, in 2007 ultimately destroyed the Hamptons' marriage, contributed to the foreclosure of their home and led to criminal charges against Hampton, who now lives in California and has been declared indigent. It also drove Ensign out of public life and back into practice as a veterinarian in Southern Nevada.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76361.html
<snip>
No details were available on Hampton’s plea agreement, including whether it requires Hampton to cooperate with prosecutors if they move forward with criminal charges against Ensign.

Hampton has publicly alleged that Ensign - in a bid to keep him quiet about the former senator’s affairs with Cindy Hampton, the Nevada Republican’s campaign treasurer - agreed to help find lobbying clients after the couple left Ensign’s office in 2008. Doug Hampton claimed that Ensign pressured Nevada-based companies to hire him as a lobbyist, and then directed Senate staffers to assist in Hampton’s lobbying work. Ensign even helped set up and attended a meeting with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on behalf of a Las Vegas airline that Hampton represented.

The Hamptons had sought millions of dollars in payments from Ensign to keep quiet about his affair with Cindy Hampton, which Ensign refused to pay. Ensign’s family did give $96,000 to the Hamptons, including their children.
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Hope he's charged soon - I'd like an October surprise

[malaise]

1. This is a gazillion times more criminal than anything associated with

John Edwards.
Please make this our October surprise.

[kestrel91316]

2. If Ensign is convicted of serious criminal charges he could even potentially

lose his veterinary license.

[malaise]

3. Well that would be sweet

Bet Rachel covers this tonight

[joeybee12]

4. He's been showing up at the monthly free clinic I volunteer at...

Criminal or not, we can always use another vet!

[SoCalDem]

5. This is local/old news as far as the media is concerned

The TV people will give it a mention & then it will all go away.. Watch for Ensign to re-hab his image and to resurface in the future.

Being republican means never having to actually admit to being responsible for much. There is always a reason why "someone else" is responsible