Friday, July 10, 2009 8:54:09 AM
Coburn claims privilege on Ensign advice
Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota
Sen. John Ensign, R-NV, addresses the delegates on the last day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 4, 2008.
(UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)
Citizens Against Government Waste
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) (L) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speaks at a Citizens Against Government Waste news conference to release the 2006 Congressional Pig Book, a complete database of state-by-state breakdown of per-capita government over site, in Washington on April 5, 2006. (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch)
Published: July 9, 2009 at 7:42 PM
WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) -- Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said Thursday he would invoke privilege if asked about advice he gave to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., on handling an extramarital affair.
Coburn said he was talking to Ensign about his tryst with a former staffer in his capacities as a doctor and a man of the cloth, Roll Call reported.
"I was counseling him as a physician and as an ordained deacon," Coburn said. "That is privileged communication that I will never reveal to anybody. Not to the (Senate) Ethics Committee, not to a court of law, not to anybody."
Doug Hampton, whose wife had engaged in an affair with Ensign, has claimed Coburn urged Ensign to pay the Hamptons millions of dollars after Hampton confronted Ensign about the affair.
"I categorically deny everything he said," Coburn said.
Coburn said he has acted as a counselor to other lawmakers in the past.
"Ya'll don't know about all the people I've counseled," he told Roll Call when asked why Ensign sought his help.
Ensign said Thursday his parents gave $96,000 to his mistress and her family out of concern for the well-being of family friends. In a statement read by his lawyer, Ensign said, "None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds, nor were they related to any campaign or official duties," USA Today reported.
"Sen. Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules," the statement said.
Ensign, 51, told the Las Vegas Sun he had no plans to resign.
"I said before, I always planned on serving and working hard -- working harder than I ever worked -- and I'm going to continue to do that," he said.
---
Next Story: Ensign admits family paid $96K to lover
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/09/Ensign-admits-family-paid-96K-to-lover/UPI-36341247122461/
---
© 2009 United Press International, Inc.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/09/Coburn-claims-privilege-on-Ensign-advice/UPI-20581247181187/ [with comments]
Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota
Sen. John Ensign, R-NV, addresses the delegates on the last day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 4, 2008.
(UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)
Citizens Against Government Waste
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) (L) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speaks at a Citizens Against Government Waste news conference to release the 2006 Congressional Pig Book, a complete database of state-by-state breakdown of per-capita government over site, in Washington on April 5, 2006. (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch)
Published: July 9, 2009 at 7:42 PM
WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) -- Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said Thursday he would invoke privilege if asked about advice he gave to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., on handling an extramarital affair.
Coburn said he was talking to Ensign about his tryst with a former staffer in his capacities as a doctor and a man of the cloth, Roll Call reported.
"I was counseling him as a physician and as an ordained deacon," Coburn said. "That is privileged communication that I will never reveal to anybody. Not to the (Senate) Ethics Committee, not to a court of law, not to anybody."
Doug Hampton, whose wife had engaged in an affair with Ensign, has claimed Coburn urged Ensign to pay the Hamptons millions of dollars after Hampton confronted Ensign about the affair.
"I categorically deny everything he said," Coburn said.
Coburn said he has acted as a counselor to other lawmakers in the past.
"Ya'll don't know about all the people I've counseled," he told Roll Call when asked why Ensign sought his help.
Ensign said Thursday his parents gave $96,000 to his mistress and her family out of concern for the well-being of family friends. In a statement read by his lawyer, Ensign said, "None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds, nor were they related to any campaign or official duties," USA Today reported.
"Sen. Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules," the statement said.
Ensign, 51, told the Las Vegas Sun he had no plans to resign.
"I said before, I always planned on serving and working hard -- working harder than I ever worked -- and I'm going to continue to do that," he said.
---
Next Story: Ensign admits family paid $96K to lover
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/09/Ensign-admits-family-paid-96K-to-lover/UPI-36341247122461/
---
© 2009 United Press International, Inc.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/09/Coburn-claims-privilege-on-Ensign-advice/UPI-20581247181187/ [with comments]
Greensburg, KS - 5/4/07
"Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty."
from John Philpot Curran, Speech
upon the Right of Election, 1790
F6
Join the InvestorsHub Community
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
