Ensign no longer target of Justice probe

Embattled Sen. John Ensign said Wednesday he is no longer the target of a Justice Department investigation into his alleged cover-up of an affair with the wife of a former top staffer.

Ensign (R-Nev.) called the news “an early Christmas present,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and said it shows that the “truth in this matter is finally coming to light.”

{mosads}”Senator Ensign is certainly pleased that the Department of Justice no longer views him as a target in their investigation, and has long-stated that he acted in accordance with the law,” the senator’s office said in a statement to the Review-Journal. “Our office and the senator have been cooperative with this investigation, and it’s important that the truth in this matter is finally coming to light.”

The news is welcome for Ensign, who still faces a Senate ethics committee investigation. Ensign was facing prison time if he had been convicted as a result of the investigation, according to the Review-Journal.

He also received a break last month when the Federal Election Commission dismissed a complaint that accused him of paying hush money to Doug Hampton, his former aide, and Cynthia Hampton, with whom Ensign had an affair.  

“It is the Senator’s hope that the ethics committee soon follows suit,”
Ensign’s office said. “Senator Ensign looks forward to continuing his hard work on behalf of
the people of Nevada.”

Ensign was under investigation by the Justice Department for allegedly violating federal lobbying restrictions when he helped Doug Hampton get a job as a lobbyist after he left his job as a top aide in Ensign’s Senate office.

The Nevada senator was considered politically vulnerable because of the ongoing criminal and Senate investigations, but a recent poll showed him leading two of his potential primary rivals.

The two-term senator led Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) 45 percent to 37 percent in a head-to-head match-up surveyed by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm based in North Carolina.

In a race against Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), Ensign leads by 28 points — 55 percent to 27 percent. Krolicki opted not to run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last cycle, presumably because he was contemplating a challenge to Ensign.

Moreover, 64 percent of GOP primary voters in Nevada approved of Ensign’s job performance, while only 23 percent disapproved. His approval rating is even higher with conservatives — 71 percent backed Ensign’s performance.

 PPP polled 400 Nevada Republican primary voters Oct. 7-9. The survey had a 4.9 percent margin of error.