(Newser) – When the husband of John Ensign’s mistress decided to email a Fox News anchor a request to discuss the affair, Rick Santorum found out—and warned the former Nevada GOP senator, a Senate ethics committee probe finds. Doug Hampton forwarded his email to Fox's Megyn Kelly to Santorum, asking for his help. The former Pennsylvania senator relayed the news to Ensign, Politico reports. Why Hampton wanted Santorum’s help isn’t clear.

The Senate report differs from Hampton’s earlier account, in which he suggested Santorum got access to the email by way of his work at Fox News. The night he received Santorum's warning, Ensign revealed the affair to his staff in an hours-long meeting; soon after, he admitted it to the public. The potential 2012 candidate is not accused of doing anything wrong, reports Politico, which notes that asked him if he had notified his colleague in 2009. “I'm not even going to dignify that question, to be honest with you,” he said. (Click for more from the ethics committee's report.)

