It seems everyone involved in this situation is a tad bit scummy, accept for Esign's wife and children. Even Ma and Pa Ensign got their hands dirty. What kind of family is this? What kind of man would let his parents pay out money to cover up his infidelity? Why would the hubby of the Jumpoff accept the money?
"Sen. John Ensign's wealthy parents paid his mistress and her family $96,000, the conservative lawmaker revealed Thursday, an admission that caused even allies to question his continued effectiveness as a U.S. senator. The "gifts" to Cynthia Hampton; her husband, Doug; and two of their children in April of last year came around the time the Hamptons stopped working for Ensign, and were made "out of concern for the well-being of longtime family friends during a difficult time," said Ensign's attorney. The payments, made in $12,000 increments, were "consistent with a pattern of generosity" by Ensign's parents, the statement said. Ensign's father, Michael, is a former casino executive who helped bankroll his son's political rise. The admission came after Doug Hampton gave a television interview to Jon Ralston, a commentator and Las Vegas television host, in which he painted Ensign as an unrepentant wife-chaser who tried to buy his mistress' silence."