Sorry if it's off topic, but since John Ensign was brought up, here's recent news on that...
The U.S. Justice Department is no longer targeting U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., in a criminal investigation arising from his affair with a former campaign aide and has no plans to charge him, attorneys for the senator said Wednesday.
The department has been looking into whether Ensign conspired with staff aide Doug Hampton, the husband of the woman with whom Ensign was involved, to violate federal lobbying restrictions.
When Doug Hampton found out about the affair with his wife, Ensign helped line up jobs for Hampton with campaign donors. Federal criminal law bars former U.S. Senate aides from lobbying in the Senate for a year after they leave their congressional jobs.
At about the same time, Ensign's parents provided the Hamptons with $96,000 that they described as a gift.
Two weeks ago, the Federal Election Commission dismissed a complaint against Ensign about the $96,000 payment his parents made to Cynthia Hampton and her family.
One watchdog group said Ensign's announcement represented a "sad day for America."
"Repeatedly, the Department of Justice has chickened out, refusing to hold politicians accountable for their deplorable actions," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Rangel obviously felt he'd done nothing that his compatriots hadn't done. I think we can assume that he was a token sacrifice and that business as usual will carry on. Now with the blessing of the SCOTUS they won't have to worry about petty issues like this. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
"The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." attributed to Margaret Thatcher
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." Thomas Jefferson
ckm8 wrote: Rangel obviously felt he'd done nothing that his compatriots hadn't done. I think we can assume that he was a token sacrifice and that business as usual will carry on. Now with the blessing of the SCOTUS they won't have to worry about petty issues like this. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
LadyJazzer wrote: I'm surprised there aren't criminal charges instead of just a "censure"... But, then, we don't know but what the IRS might be planning on busting his chops as soon as the House finishes with him. He deserves everything he gets.
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I am not holding my breath. Just wonder if he had to pay interest and penalties on his back taxes.
If the IRS is involved, and/or any State taxing departments, you can BET that P&I will apply... Their computers do it automatically, and it takes a special approval to override the computer.
