Ensign’s Parents Paid Lover and Family $96,000

By David Stout

Sam Morris/Las Vegas Sun, via Reuters
NYT

Senator John Ensign’s parents gave almost $100,000 to his former lover and her family in April 2008, it was revealed on Thursday, as Mr. Ensign’s embarrassment over his extramarital affair seemed to deepen.

“In April 2008, Senator John Ensign’s parents each made gifts to Doug Hampton, Cindy Hampton, and two of their children in the form of a check totaling $96,000,” a statement on the senator’s behalf said. “Each gift was limited to $12,000. The payments were made as gifts, accepted as gifts and complied with tax rules governing gifts.”

Last month, the Republican senator from Nevada held a brief news conference in Las Vegas to announce that he had an affair with a campaign staff member (later identified as Cynthia Hampton), but had ended the relationship. In addition, his office confirmed that Mr. Hampton had recently demanded money and had threatened to go public with the affair just before the senator’s admission.

(Continued here.)