It may soon be time to say I was wrong again. On the 22nd of last month in The Republican Ensign Has Fallen, I implied that by resigning, he would avoid prosecution. That may not be the case after all, because the Senate Ethics Committee has referred reports to the Department of Justice and Federal Election Commission opining that Ensign committed crimes and recommending prosecution. What a shocker! They have done nothing like that in years. Here it is in detail.

The Senate Ethics Committee declared yesterday that it has “substantial and credible evidence’’ that former senator John Ensign broke federal laws in his effort to cover up an extramarital affair he had with a political aide, referring the case to the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission. In a highly unusual public rebuke, the bipartisan committee presented its case on the Senate floor, announcing it had voted unanimously to release its findings and request that the Justice Department restart a criminal investigation into the Nevada Republican’s actions. The evidence against Ensign was “substantial enough to warrant the consideration of expulsion’’ had he not resigned, said Senator Barbara Boxer, the panel chairwoman, reading from a report of the special counsel hired to handle the investigation. Ensign, who said he never violated any rules or laws, resigned May 3 rather than face questions under oath… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Boston Globe>

The most detailed account of this issue I could find comes from Rachel Maddow as she explores the details of the Ensign Scandal in depth with columnist Jon Ralston.

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How about Coburn? I think he should be charged as well, as the middle man in the negotiation of a bribe, and he lied about it as well.