On the Hill

Ensign: I Didn't Break the Rules

Work for mistress’s hubby may have been illegal.

It depends on what the meaning of the word “ethics” is. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, who may have broken ethics rules when he directed business toward his former mistress’s lobbyist husband, has denied doing anything wrong to CNN. “I think it's pretty clear,” he said. “I said in the past I recommended him for jobs, just like I recommended a lot of people. But we absolutely did nothing except for comply exactly with what the ethics laws and the ethics rules of the Senate state. We were very careful." When reporter Dana Bash asked him if he has considered resigning, Ensign said, "I am focused on doing my work. I'm gonna continue to focus on doing my work.”