NRSC Learned of Ensign Affair One Year Ago

Posted by Jed Lewison, Daily Kos at 12:56 PM on August 4, 2009.

Even though John Ensign has clammed up about his affair with former employee Cindy Hampton, the hits keep on coming.

The latest: it turns out Ensign's top political aide at the NRSC knew about the affair more than one year ago. Jon Ralston, Las Vegas Sun:

The emails, between Mike Slanker and Doug Hampton and Lindsey Slanker and Cindy Hampton, show the Slankers knew of the affair between John Ensign and Cindy Hampton while they were working in 2008 at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which the senator headed. The previous implication had been they did not know until Ensign's June 16 news conference. Slanker now says he did indeed find out shortly after he hired Hampton, but did not intend to mislead the media.

Here's a link to the two e-mails: To Cindy Hampton, Between Mike Slanker and Doug Hampton.

As much as Ensign would like this story to be over, it isn't. Ralston offers up eleven questions that "Senator Stonewall" has refused to answer. In another sign this sordid story isn't going away, Ensign's father is facing heightened scrutiny in a Kansas casino deal because of $96,000 he gave out to the family of Ensign's lover.

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Tagged as: republicans, gop, nevada, affair, ensign