Press

PRESS

May 03, 2011

CREW: Ensign Gone, but Cannot be Forgotten

States, Nevada, Press Releases, Senate Members, John Ensign

Washington, D.C. – Disgraced Senator John Ensign (R-NV) will officially resign his office today. While Ensign’s departure ends his political career, the Senate ethics committee has indicated it still might act on the case almost two years after its facts first came to light. In response to the news, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director Melanie Sloan issued the following statement:

“The ethics committee investigation into Sen. Ensign’s conduct has taken far too long. Only a year-and-a-half after the scandal broke did the committee finally hire a special counsel, ramping up the inquiry. Failing to quickly hold wrongdoers responsible for reprehensible conduct suggests that members of Congress cover for one another. It often seems that the ethics committee delays action – perhaps hoping public outrage will blow over, the senator will resign, the Justice Department will take over, or some other outside event will transpire – and release senators from the distasteful obligation of holding a colleague accountable.

Sen. Ensign should not be permitted to simply slink away. The committee should issue a report – if for no other reason than to let other senators know that serious misconduct has serious, public consequences.”

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact David Merchant at 202.408.5565 or dmerchant@citizensforethics.org