When Is the Senate Ethics Committee Going to Take Action on Tom Coburn’s Part in the Ensign Cover-Up?
Click here to view this media I just have to ask, now that it looks like there’s going to be a criminal investigation against John Ensign after the Senate ethics committee released their findings this week: When is that same panel going to investigate Tom Coburn further and take some action against him and his part in covering up the crimes committed by John Ensign? Here’s the entire segment from Maddow’s show where she laid out the entire scandal better than I’ve seen anyone else in our corporate media do with all of the ugly details explained fully. If you’ve got almost twenty minutes to spare and want to know what our press has largely been ignoring for the last couple of years that should have had Ensign thrown out of the Senate some time ago IMO, Rachel did a great job of explaining it here. And here’s more from the HuffPo on Coburn’s role in the cover-up — Tom Coburn Helped Cover Up John Ensign Affair: Senate Ethics Report : Sen. Tom Coburn played a more active role than previously known in the negotiations between ex-Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and his former aide, Doug Hampton. The extent of the Oklahoma Republican’s involvement is made clear in a report released Thursday by the Senate Ethics Committee that accuses the former senator of serious criminal violations . Coburn, a friend of Ensign’s who confronted him about the adultery, became involved as an intermediary in negotiations between Ensign and Doug Hampton. The former aide sought money from Ensign in spring 2009. Coburn negotiated the payment to Doug Hampton down from $8 million to about $2.8 million, according to the report. The Oklahoma Republican’s involvement in the cover-up of the affair could lead to uncomfortable questions for the senator and his party going forward. While Ensign left the Senate hastily last week, Coburn remains an active figure. Coburn denied that he served as a negotiator when he testified for the report, but acknowledged he spoke to Hampton’s attorney, Albregts, in May 2009. The Oklahoma Republican told the Ethics Committee that he was simply planning to pass along information to Ensign. I’m sure he just thought it was the “good Christian thing to do” for his friend. Nothing to see here folks, so just move along now. This hypocrite needs to be investigated just like his buddy Ensign was, but given it took them almost two years to even go after Ensign and the Senate ethics committee’s track record, I don’t hold out much hope they’ll hold Coburn accountable. And don’t even get me started on the DOJ that was going to give Ensign a pass before this happened and the ethics panel referred the case back to them. Apparently the rule of law in this country only applies if you’re a working-class stiff who’s not politically connected.
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on May 13, 2011. Filed under