Nevada Sen. John Ensign to resign

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Washington Post:

Embattled Nevada Sen. John Ensign ® announced Thursday night that he will resign from office in early May, a move that comes amid an ongoing ethics investigation into his conduct.

“While I stand behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule, or standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn out proceedings, or especially public hearings,” Ensign said in a statement posted on his website. “For my family and me, this continued personal cost is simply too great.”

Ensign’s resignation, which was first reported by Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston, will be official on May 3 and comes six weeks after he announced his plans to retire at the end of his current term, which expires in 2012.

His departure comes as the Senate ethics committee is conducting an ongoing investigation into his handling of an affair with a former political aide -- whose husband was also a top legislative aide to the senator.

Earlier this year the committee hired an outside counsel to begin a more formal investigative phase of Ensign’s actions, which would have likely led to either a public hearing on formal allegations or the public issuing of its allegations against the senator.

Removed from the Senate, the ethics committee has no jurisdiction in the matter and likely will keep private the results of its 20-month investigation.
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He didn't break any laws-just hearts...

[clearvision]

Actually, assuming the Nevada Gov. puts in a Rep. replacement, this should work out versus his original plan just not to run next time.