2009-06-16 GOP 2012 hopeful Sen. Ensign admits extramarital affair
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GOP 2012 hopeful Sen. Ensign admits extramarital affair
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Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign, considered a possible contender for the GOP's presidential ticket in 2012, has confessed to an extramarital affair.
"The affair took place between December 2007 and August 2008 with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in Ensign's Senate office," reported the Associated Press, citing an anonymous aide in Ensign’s office. "Neither have worked for the senator since May 2008."
"I know that I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife, my children, my family, my friends, my staff and the people of Nevada who believed in me not just as a legislator but as a person," reads a prepared statement from the senator.
His wife, Darlene, added in a separate statement: "Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger."
Sen. Ensign, who currently serves on the Senate Republican Policy Committee, voted in the House to impeach President Bill Clinton over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinski and repeatedly called for the former president’s resignation.
Sen. Ensign was also one of the loudest critics of former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Id.), calling for his resignation after he was famously arrested for gay sex in an airport bathroom. At the same time, Sen. Ensign defended Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), whose telephone number turned up in the databases of the Washington, D.C. "madam's" prostitution ring.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said at the time that Ensign’s criticism exhibited a clear double standard.
"I don’t think they’ll ask [Vitter] to resign because, of course, he’d be replaced by a Democrat," he added. "It’s easier to ask Larry Craig to resign because he’d be replaced by a Republican."
[edit] shorter text
“Nevada Republican Senator John Ensign, considered a possible contender for the GOP's presidential ticket in 2012, has confessed to an extramarital affair.”
