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Legal Filings

CREW Asks DOJ for Criminal Investigation into Ensign Severance Payment to Former Mistress

Washington, D.C. - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), called on Attorney General Eric Holder to order a criminal investigation into payments made by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to his former mistress, Cynthia Hampton, when he fired her from her positions with his campaign committee and leadership political action committee (PAC).

CREW’s request is in direct response to statements by Ms. Hampton’s husband, Doug Hampton, that Sen. Ensign provided Ms. Hampton with over $25,000 in severance.

If, as it has been alleged, Sen. Ensign provided Ms. Hampton with a severance payment out of his own pocket, he made an in-kind contribution to his campaign committee, Ensign for Senate, and his leadership PAC, Battle Born PAC. Neither committee, however, reported receiving such in-kind contributions from the senator.

Last month, having learned only that the senator gave Ms. Hampton some severance payment, but with no information about the amount, CREW asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate the committees’ failure to report the contribution in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and to determine whether Sen. Ensign made an illegal excessive contribution to the PAC, as the FECA prohibits contributions of over $5,000 by any individual.

At the same time, CREW had also asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Sen. Ensign’s conduct.

Today, CREW asked for a Department of Justice investigation as well, based on Mr. Hampton’s statement that Sen. Ensign had provided his wife with over $25,000 in severance.

Under the FECA, the knowing and willful failure to report contributions totaling $25,000 or more in a calendar year is a federal crime, punishable by up to 5 years in jail.

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, stated, “As despicable as Sen. Ensign’s conduct has been, it now appears it also may have been criminal. The Department of Justice has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans – even high level political officials – are held accountable for their actions.”