CNN

Can you imagine if Clinton's mom had given money to Monica Lewinski?

The plot thickens and the hypocrisy grows!

Doug Hampton, the spouse, also worked for the Senator and took taxpayer pffice funds of over $ 15,000. a month. This needs to be investigated and the Senator needs to be removed from office. These people are sickening. His parents owed them money....what?

Interesting how the cuckolded hubby wanted "assistance" and later the senator's parents pay amounts calculated to not trigger gift tax.
Sounds like a shakedown to me. Nice husband, that Doug. Gets to cash in on his wife's dalliance.

BTW, dmjakers is incorrect. You are allowed to make gifts in that fashion. He is confusing that with structuring, which is making small transfers or payments to avoid currency transaction reporting. This isn't covered under the structuring statute, and in any event, it isn't the payor that pays the tax.

I see a lot of Libs on here saying that the problem is the hypocrisy, not the infidelity. This is the thing that disgusts me about the direction the Dems are being taken by the Libs.

Hahaha. Mike you are so wrong I don't know where to begin. Dems nor Libs have never said infidelity is ok. We don't beleive cheating on ones spouse is acceptable at all. But, we also don't stand up and preach to others abpout our values being far greater because we're Democrats. The Republicans can't say the same thing. Just ask every Repub that railed against Clinton. They'll tell you I'm sure

Whats different now is more people are wise to these Republican creatins and their methods and it will be years before they can wash that stench off.

Sure he wasnt appointed by the teflon Don?He looks like a mafia crook.Making payoffs maybe?

Actually, dmjakers, you don't have to pay taxes on all receipts of money.

Everyone is entitled to give gifts to family or friends. You can give someone up to $12,000 a year (at this time) and neither person must pay taxes on the money. But only if it is a gift, rather than compensation for services rendered. IN this case, Mom & Dad ($24,000 combined) gave to mistress, husband and two kids ($24K x 4) for a total of $96,000.

Whether it is hush money or a bribe MAY make the payments fall outside the gift exemption, but that's a fine line.

John Ensign should resign. The most disgusing thing about him is the fact that he is a hippocrit. He's not worthy of our trust and obviously will never have it again. I feel sorry for any family that has to be put through. He can never make up to them what he has destroyed.

And to think fox and their rightwing anchors accused Hillary of Pimping out Chelsea last year now really really know who the pimps are. I think this is the new republican plan to stimulate the economy come on yall its the oldest profession in the book.

William: Please go read something. The VAST majority have cheated? The surveys I have read say that between 25% and 50% of married males cheat, between 10% and 25% of married females cheat. Been married twice, never cheated on either.

Not that I would judge another if they had a moral failing. That is, of course, unless they made other people's infidelity some of their business. Perhaps by impeaching a president for a fling?

These two may, at least, be somewhat better than Newt. At least they don't appear to have been cheating on their spouse WHILE impeaching Clinton for his misdeeds.

Of course, getting your parents to pay hush money to the woman might put ensign in that lowest of the low category, right next to Newt. I just can't imagine telling my father or mother that I cheated on my wife, let alone ask them to participate in the payoff.

It takes a special type of slime to be this low!

as i say every day ,it is more about the gop,and there will be an effort made gop by the gop to bring up a former president or (john edwards) to whinn ,what about them.john esign stood on the platform of morals and showed he could be a sinner like we all are sometimes. so be carfull what you stand for ,and what you do. the gop is a daily soap opera. the day of our wifves, and replubicans and the restless.he paid wow ,whats new.

The issue is hypocricy. Lies and deceptions are all the republican party is good at.
Ensign gets himself elected under the guise that he is "moral" and he claims to have "family values". Is adultery with an adulterous employee, and then his paying this woman and her kids almost $100K in small enough sums that money is basically laundred and therefore legal, is all this Republican "family values"?.
Why isn't the "holly than thou" Republican Party in an up roar about all this – because they are false. This is what they call "fair & balanced". or "country first".
All the Repubs care about is power and money – disgusting.

The "big deal" William is that you have another republican 'better than tho' senator preaching to everyone else on how they should live and abide by morals and 'good ol southern conservative" values (which is a joke!) and points the finger at everyone else and does EXACTLY the opposite himself! how dare he! This is typical republican hypocracy! and of course you'll sit there and say you've seen dems do the same thing...well the difference is more than likely, you don't have democrats PREACHING to everyone else how they should live their lives in such 'high morale standards" and turn around and do the opposite! I personally don't care about the infedility..however, what i don't care for is all this type of sneakiness....which only tells me this guy and his family are a bunch of liars and have gone around thinking their untouchable and better than everyone else!

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you...
The Repugs are getting what they did to Clinton in spades!

Yes, Virginia, there is a God!

Just like the great Republican Larry Craig, I take a Wide Stance on this story.

It's not that guys like Sanford, Ensign and Craig had affairs out of office, some of them even with the opposite sex.
It's that they stood up in the Pulpit and condemned others and demanded their resignation while they're doing the same thing.

The Republicans aren't the party of "Family Values". They're the party of stone throwing HYPOCRITES!

so sean....

i agree we are all human, but many of these politicians are preaching "their version of family values" and can't live up to their own SELF SET STANDARDS!? i frankly couldn't care less which party he represents, what offends me most is that there are people who are out of work right now struggling to pay their bills and this spoiled little snits mommy and daddy are paying "fu..n" money to cover his filthy wealthy tracks.

Soooooo-his parents are enablers. Who have they paid off in the past for this low-life? Time to stand on your own two-feet Ensign. Stop whining to mommy & daddy to help you. Nothing is going to help you now.

Once again, Democrats don't campaign on family values, therefore they are not hypocrites. They are not hypocrites for pointing out hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy literally means, religiously preaching one thing and doing another.

Whatever!! Did they miss a payment? Sounds like bribe money to me. Oops. He's a senator. That's politics as usual.

I find it hard to believe that this affair, as well as the ensuing cover-up, did not detract from the performance of Senator Ensign. Is failure to fulfill your elected duty to the best of your ability not a violation?

Scott L from another post, same subject "One thing you won't get Reagan or any of the Bush's on is marital affairs. Only a matter of time before Obama falls if he has not already."
--------------

I'll cede to you your frustration on the Ensign affair. However, why drag Obama in to the fray? You become childish and petulant, neither of which are good qualities in getting your message out.

Brad writes:
"No he does not. If he did then he would not have had an affair to begin with!!"
Sounds like a non-sequitur to me, unless there's an explicit senate ethics rule about your private sex life.

I see a lot of Libs on here saying that the problem is the hypocrisy, not the infidelity. This is the thing that disgusts me about the direction the Dems are being taken by the Libs. As long as you don't criticize others who cheat or profess to have family values it's OK to sleep around?!?!?! The fact is that a Man or woman who will cheat on their spouse is a liar. Liars lie....that is what they do. We need people of character leading this country, regardless of party affiliation. So yes....it does matter if you are an adulterer....there is a connection....and we should be able to expect better of our politicians.

VOTE LIBERTARIAN!!!!!! (Have you ever been lied to by one?)

Sean, the issue is not whether politician's personal lives ought to be part of the national dialogue, I think almost everyone would agree that infidelities and sexual preference ought not to play a role in politics. However, when the politician in question has made an issue of the moral failings of others, he (or she) is rightly called to answer for his (or her) moral failings. Such is the case of Sen. Ensign and Gov. Sanford (and former Gov. Spitzer, for that matter).

As an aside, have there been any female politician who have been caught in infidelities or other "moral" related scandals?

This is called a cover- up folks. This is a sneaky and crooked way to cover up ones infidelity. Ensign should be ashamed of himself. Any political party should be offended by these actions by a high ranking member. The voters of Nevada should be hurt and embarrased. Ensign needs to put his cheap ego(which got him in trouble to begin with) aside and be honorable with a resignation. Doesn't make a difference which party is involved it is a matter of trust and decency.

What's the big deal?? This was an affair between consenting adults & isn't anyone's business, certainly not yours or mine, w the exception of the parties involved & their immediate families. Let them work it out w some dignity & in private. There were NO Government or Taxpayer's funds involved, so Who Cares if this guy, a senator "Paid to Play"???
I'm so tired of the media, public & hypocrites playing "Morals police"!!

Poll after poll have shown that, although it may be hurtful to the people cheated on, the vast majority of both American men & women have cheated on their spouses at one time or another.

Why can't the powerful /rich/famous have a private life just like the rest of us??

We look & act soooo immature, sexually uptight & two faced to the Europeans & the rest of the world, it's embarrassing!!

What a different world these dirt bag republicans live in. If I had an affair on my wife, the last people in the world I would ask to help would be my parents. I don't know if I'd be more ashamed to tell my wife or my father. Shameless doesn't even begin to describe these people.

A gift emanates from a disinterested spirit of generosity.

So it's $12K to each Hamptonian from each Ma and Pa Ensign. Nice. They must be so proud of what they raised.

The lawyer's comment about "a pattern of generosity by the Ensign family to the Hamptons and others" leaves one wondering. One can only dare hope that there haven't been other "gifts"/pay-offs to other "Hamptons."

Any chance John Boy will have the decency, at long last, to finally resign. Imagine the toll on his wife.

If a politician is going to cheat on his/her wife, then I believe that it is a personal matter. The only reason that I'm bothered is because it always seems to be Republicans that are acting "immoral." And they are the ones trumping the horn about morals and what not. So much for being conservative and godly. Anyway, whenever this happens to a Democrat or any non-Republican, we have idiots like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh crying up a storm asking for said person's head. What's up with the double standard? Reminds me of a time when Mr. Rush got caught abusing pain killers. Prior to that he had pretty much said (and I'm paraphrasing) that all drug addicts should be thrown in jail, basically shown no mercy. However when he was found out, the rules changed. SO MUCH HYPOCRISY, IT MAKES ME SICK.

How sweet. Both parties married, and his parents felt sorry for her? What about their daughter-in-law, the cheated on wife, and his own kids? Can there be any more idiocy coming?

The reason it matters that he's a Republican is because as a party they campaign on the moral high ground. And they started one of the biggest congressional witch hunts in US history over Bill Clinton's affair. George Bush's 2000 campaign was based solely on "bringing dignity back to the white house", he really didn't have anything else to run on.

If (as a party) all you have is your claim to values, when you don't have those you don't have anything at all.

Sean: are you kidding me? It has nothing to do with the affair and everything to do with hypocrisy. Read what this guy has said about others and then say it's okay just a personal issue.

I am neither republican or democrat! But I find it just a tad hilarious that the so-called morally high-minded republicans are always caught up in these kinds of scandals or scandals involving young men! The democrats can be pandering hypocrites but my goodness for a party that likes to boast about their Judeo-Christian, family values I just find it rather ironic that every six months or so a republican congressman, senator or governor is entangled in some kind of sexual scandal!

Ensign was and is a creep. Was a creep the first day he stepped foot in Nevada to run for office – - carpetbagging I think it's called – - typical republican move. Any one who lived in Nevada at that time knows better than trust this creep any further than he can be thrown. Now he's been exposed at just plain dumb. He has over the years demanded the resignation of others, why not him?

Having extra marital affairs out of wedlock is a way of promoting family values, according to the Republican dictionary. Bill Clinton did the same and was impeached by the Republicans. Where are they now on this issue. Their tails are now hidden under their behind.

Mark,
Yes, democrats and republicans both have affairs, but only republicans have built a platform of family values that contradicts their own behavior.

We are seeing the representation of "haves" and "have-nots" in America. Daddy's boy, the Senator, gets in trouble, just pay to make the trouble go away. Now you see why the Members of Congress and the Senate will spend whatever it takes to stay in Office – the unlimited money supply provided to them. America is failing, not because our manufacturing sector is failing, but because our leaders are spending too much time covering their rear-end, and making millions why the average American is just trying to get by.

Another hit for the "Moral Majority".

The repugs motto has always been:

DO AS I SAY! NOT AS I DO! That is always the base of power seekers and christian conservative values. Remember when people preach about church\christian values from a collections of books called the bible that were written in the middle east you know they only saved or modified the versus that keep you down and prop them up!

Honestly, who CARES what these men/women do in their personal lives? I'm sick of seeing our politicians lives played out like a soap opera. As long as they are doing their jobs and doing them well who cares if they are getting nooky on the side, that's thier personal life and it should remain that. People forget politicians are HUMAN beings just like the rest of us. Americans are so nosy, up in everyone's personal business just chomping at the bit to get the next skeleton out of the closet. We should go back to the days of paying attention to what's important – the work that is getting done in Washington and elsewhere, not what's going on in these people's bedrooms.

To Terry – who you sleep with IS your own business – unless, of course, you are married – public servant or not. This constitutes a breach of ethical behavior which leads to other questions. What else would be he willing to do if it was in his personal interest? Can we trust him to do what's best for his constituants and the country when he is either amoral or self-absorbed. For several decades our "leaders" have been setting a very bad example – if we hold them to a higher standard it's simply for that reason – "lead by example."

"Christians are not perfect, just forgiven" so they say. They just expect everybody else to be perfect and responsible. My question to all of the smug, self-important, windbag religionists has always been "What the hell are you trying to hide?" We are now beginning to find out at least on one level. That they are most often conservatives should come as no surprise. Just one more way of pretending to be better than others and one more way trying to keep people down in order to preserve their privilege.

This sounds like something out of a bad high school affair on Dallas.

I would like to get Newt and Limbos take on it for maximum giggles.....

Its amazing how we hold our politicians this ideal standard. Infidelity goes on in all walks of life, doesnt make it right, but it is human. he is human. If he didnt break any laws, i dont see an issue w/ him staying in office. That's part of the problem, we worry so much on image, and what people do in their personal lives, instead of what they do in office.

It is time to send a message to the republican party: no more support for any of you until you make an example out of someone! So much for family values!

Senator Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules. No he does not. If he did then he would not have had an affair to begin with!!

Hush Money.

enough said.

cover-up time

Heard any of this before?
Ensign-gate, anyone?

What happen to personal responsibility.....he had his mommy and daddy take care of things for him....that's how the promisekeepers do it......

Think these affairs are actually apolitical, regardless of party they think they are above the fray. Not defending the last two Republican by any means but lest we forget John Edwards, and the Kennedy boys it seems have nothing to do with party affiliation..

Eugene: July 9th, 2009 4:54 pm ET

Oh, and Bill Clinton was good at discrete affairs…
------------------
Concentrate, Eugene, concentrate. This isn't about Bill Clinton – it's about one of your own. One who had himself gone after Clinton and demanded Clinton resign.

This deceptive group is on the same level as those opportunistic televangelists who deceive and exploit the lost sheep that make up their faithful followings. Do these clowns purposely seek office with the intention of obtaining power to leverage and abuse, without regard for their official and personal commitments? Imagine what these guys would be capable of without the fear of God and public scrutiny.

This is so much drama, it should be covered on the Lifetime channel.

Like rats from a sinking ship. Interesting to me how the neocons won't touch this story with a 10 ft. pole. How convenient. Where are the repub commenters to this story, don't let us down as you typically are able to convince yourselves that there has to be some territory worth defending. Not in this case!

I think that if every Washington politician who has done anything ethically, morally, or criminally wrong would resign, we'd have the turnover we need to get really fresh, new blood in government. And, IMHO, we desperately need term limits in both the House and Senate: 3 terms for the house and 2 terms for the Senate. Forget about the arguments about "experience": Just remember the old quote "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (forgive me if I got that slightly wrong). And the longer these pols (of either party) stay in office, the more they gain, in their own little minds, absolute power. They forget about who elected them and why quite easily, if would seem.

@Steve, Columbia SC,

Maybe, but we don't claim to be the party of "family values" either.

I'd have more respect if he'd be HONEST, and say it was HUSH money. Then resign like DEMANDED of President Clinton..H'e s a two-faced, LIAR. A man not of principles but of greed. He's a cancer in Congress.

CaC,
I don't recall President Clinton calling for anyone's resignationor impeachment for being an adulterer WHILE hes was being an adulterer. That's a Republican thing. Do as I say, not as I do.

Don't you idiots get it? It is the HYPOCRISY of your party that we denounce. You claim the moral highground while cheating on your wives. Sanctimonious twits.

Want to see a REAL family man? Look at President Obama.

So is having your parents pay off your mistress is what is known as family vaules?

What a great bunch of politicians we have!! Never ceases to amaze me at the number who follow this pattern of life, and at the tax payer's
expense. Yes, the ones who do this "extra marital affair" should all resign. What on earth has happened to people with a conscience!!!!!
Wouldn't give you a plugged nickle for the whole bunch of them!!!

A Man’s personal relationship in Marriage has Nothing to do and has no Connection with his Job Performance.

A very loyal and honest Husband in Marriage could be the Worst Performer in his Job.
Let us Compare:

If a Man’s profession is 1) Carpenter 2) Plumber 3) I.T. 4) Doctor 5) Lawyer 6) Policeman 7) Firefighter Teacher, how will it affect or concern his job duties, if these men were cheating on their wives?

I don’t see any connection whatsoever.

GOP... as got to be the best reality show in America... it should be called HYPOCRISY IN AMERICA!!

Oh Republicans – please tell us what are morals should be??? We want to have as much fun as YOU!!!!!!!!! He should talk to Palin about how to be a QUITTER!!!!!!!!

It's okay folks, he's Republican. That means he can do what he wants, ask God to forgive him, call himself a Christian and then act like nothing ever happend. That is the Republican version of family values. As long as no one who makes millions pays tmore axes or inheritance taxes or has an abortion all is forgiven.

So he is a Senator, he tries to legislate others behavior. He has an affair and then he runs to hi mom and dad and they pay the girl off. WHAT A MAN>>>>

I'll bet this a pattern of Ensign's parents paying off all of the people this guy has used and abused during his life. I don't think Ensign should resign, leave him there as a target. This son of privilege makes laws that concern real people on a day to day level.

Where I come from, if you pay somebody you've been sleeping with outside of your marriage, you have NOT "complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules."

Hey you hypocrite liberals...you think the Republican's are the only ones that have done something like this?

Look at your own party...John Edwards fathering children with mistresses, Ted Kennedy drowning Mary Joe Kopechne
off the bridge, Bill Clinton carrying on affairs his whole adult life, Barney Frank and his homosexual affair with male pages, etc etc etc.

If you want to review all the affairs, payoffs, who should be in jail, etc., the dems would win hands down in numbers.

CNN, a very misleading headline.
That was what his attorney claimed after been busted with this sex- for -cash – Ensign scandal.
Stop covering for this republicans Scumbags.
Ensign should resign . Enough with hypocrites

Terry,
The problem is not only ethics which have been violated here but hypocrisy too! Why was the woman's 19 year old son hired as a campaign staffer? How does this square with the GOP platform on family values? The GOP tried to impeach President Clinton on just the affair alone. Why are they silent NOW? You cannot have it both ways, Terry!

You idiots that cry "shame on the Republicans" know better. Your demoncrat senators and representatives are not innocent of this kind of thing..........

Dirtbag! And his parents are enablers.

Are you kidding me? The parents should be ashamed of themselves. What a great example. Just pay off the people who your son hurt. No wonder he's a hypocrite and has no morals. He obviously was raised that way.

Oh, and Bill Clinton was good at discrete affairs...

When Mark Sanford, John Ensign, Bill Clinton and John Edwards, LIED to their Wives- No Body died or Injured.

When Bush and Cheney Lied about WMDs of Iraq.- 4,300 US Troops died – 45,000 US Troops got injured -100,000 Iraqis civilians died.

We must Forgive John Ensign, if we have Forgiven Bush and Cheney.

His parents must have been desperate to try to protect the family's star. MY parents would have said that I had shamed them and myself and that I would have to sink or swim on my own. He must have been bailed out by them before...again and again. That may be part of his problem.

I don't think this is a Republican or Democrat issue. It is a moral issue. Plenty of men in both parties, politicians and non-politicians, cheat on their wives. They give their mistresses money, houses and cars. Until we stopped labeling everything as R or D, this country will suffer.

It's one thing to cheat on your wife, which is bad enough, but to cheat on your wife while still claiming the moral high ground and then, on top of that, get your parent to try to pay her off to be quiet about the whole affair?

This goes beyond Republican or Democrat. It is an affront to the institution of marriage amplified by a financial cover-up.

At least Mark Sanford had the guts to admit his discretions. He didn't try to bribe anyone.

How hilarious! He had his mommy and daddy pay off the family of his married girlfriend to keep the whole thing quiet. I love it. It is one of the best examples of someone keeping the letter of the law yet violating the spirit of the law, I've encountered. Money not well spent, I might add. How old do you have to be before your parents stop bailing you out, Senator?

Well, come on. The parents are probably really embarrassed by their son.

We've heard of tons of politicians having affairs, Republican AND democrat. There's probably countless others we never found out about.

Stop acting like this is a party issue. ALL politicians are unethical in one way or another.

Yeah, since you'd certainly never see a Democratic having an affair, you'd never see any of this behavior from them...would you now, Mr. Clinton?

This is great, b/c we definitely have not had our fill of disgusting details from recent high-profile affairs.

OK, Mark Sanford, your turn.

Give me a break!! How corrupt can one family get??? Ensign needs to resign now. This is totally unacceptable from anyone in any party.

Ah but we all forget that prostitution is legal in Nevada. Rest easy everyone, no laws were broken!

From earlier news reports, it sounds like the Hamptons were trying to milk this senator for all he was worth...to the tune of millions. Not that I'm sympathetic to overly-religious legislators. Still, it's disgusting to see Doug Hampton ruthlessly take advantage of the situation, probably all in the interest of carassing his frail and damaged ego.

Severance? They call it "severance" now?

You have shamed us here in Nevada, Johnny.

You will now lose your re-election bid.

Go back to being a Veternarian. Continue your adultery in your personal office, not the office of the people.

So, she is no longer a mistress... she got paid so what does that make her family? Pimps?

Republican family value$$$ Awesome!

There there Johnny, Mommy will make it all better.

I didn't really like Obama all that much until that took that picture of him and Sarkozy staring at that girl's butt. Ha ha. Maybe he's alright after all.

Are these Hamptons convicted felons?

They really know how to shake someone down. LOL

I have been around for a while and can’t remember a time when the GOP was- so filled- with so many reprehensible immoral fools!

I assume Liberty College going to kick the Republican Club off campus too?

This is so old school, right Steele? LOL

And GOP, please stop lying to the America people, that Ensign somehow complied with ethics. Who believes this nonsense?

Ensign funneled money towards this indiscretion through his Chairmanship of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, his campaign donations, and now his parents? Unbelievably unethical.

The revelations of hypocrisy keep coming and Repugs continue to embrance the likes of Ensign, Sanford and Vitter as members of their party after bashing opponents for years with their Holier-than-thou "family values" platform. Bill Clinton, who they villified, is a saint compared to these dirty weasels.

I guess we know now the neo-con's "christian" answer to WWJD?

He would choose OPP!

So, if i become Senator Ensign's friend, I can get paid too?$$$$ LOL

These Republicans are shameless. They are not even good at having a 'discreet' affair.

would have been cheaper to pick one up off the street,,, lol

Hush money.

He needs to resign NOW! The affair is one thing, but now it's becoming unethical with payments being made to members of the Hampton family. Is this hush money? The Senate Ethics Committee needs to investigate Sen. Ensign and Sen. Coburn.

This is great, most of my TV shows don't come back till the fall and I love a good drama.

Thanks Republicans, for providing entertainment that no reality show can match.

New slogan: Must see GOP!

Wow! Haven't we just heard it all. Parents supporting their adulterer son's mistress's family with gifts of money?

And I bet they are good Christians too! Lol. Well, the GOP can certainly be proud. And when the kids ask where they got all the money, will they tell them it was for a job well done? Such hypocrites!

Sounds legal to me. This is a private family issue. Who you sleep with does not reflect on your ability to serve elective office.

Ensign is unqualified for public service because he is a Conservative. American Conservatism is the greatest threat to the future of our republic at this time.

If Sen. Ensign spent more time with his lovers less time in Washington, the world would be a better place.

Could the Senators parents afford to give this type of money? Sounds like a payoff to me.

YOU HAD YOUR PARENTS PAY OFF THIS WOMAN????????
Thank you Senator Ensign, this is a gift that just keeps on giving.

Wow, and you are part of the MORALS police?

The hypocrasy, it burns!!

I am not mad at Ensign for having an affair. That's his business.

I am mad at Ensign because he is a hypocrite who has used "family values" as a political weapon for his own gain.

Wow. . .thinking of quitting yet, Ensign. I would.

Not to mention the doubled salary, her husband's salary, and their 19 year old son being hired (with republican money) as some sort of expert.

MISUSE OF POWER

Sleeping with someone and accepting financial gifts....isn't that prostitution? What makes this worse is that this grown man's parents are involved in paying his prostitutes.

Is this what all of you mean by family values?

Still sounds like hush money to me.

Must be nice being a republican. You get to throw away any and all morals. You get to be two faced and hypocritical. You get to do nothing ever, but whine and complain and have affairs.

The republicans represent ALL that is wrong with our country. We need to replace them for GOOD and for EVER!

Bribery, a federal offense carrying a penalty of hard time in prison.

Oh wait, this is a US senator, the law doesn't apply to Ensign.

Sounds like blackmail or hush money to me..........

.....................and so the plot thickens!!!!!

Ensign is a Hypocrite and should resign, just like he told others to do. This guy is a first class slime ball. I'm ashamed that he is one of my Senators. He doesn't represent the people of NV at all, he's always been just out for himself and the republican party. I wish NV had a recall law. Ensign, please please RESIGN.

if you give somebody $96,000 you have to pay taxes, and if you split up the payments into smaller amounts to avoid tax liability, that's a series of felonies.

Oh, its a family affair!