Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 3:49PM

Buried under the pile of details that have emerged in the last 48 hours on the John Ensign investigation is one crucial over-arching development: The federal probe into the matter appears to have expanded, and shifted its focus in a way that may could make it an even graver threat to the Nevada senator than before.

In a nutshell: The Justice Department investigation began as an inquiry into whether Ensign flouted a lobbying ban by trying to help Doug Hampton get a lobbying job after Hampton left Ensign's office, and by directing his staff to work with Hampton once he was set up as a lobbyist. But now, it seems, investigators have also moved beyond Hampton, to consider whether the senator illegally tied legislative favors to contributions to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which he chaired.

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Topics: Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Justice Department, Lobbyists, Sex, eCommLink

John Ensign

Another NV Firm Subpoenaed In Ensign Probe -- Says Founder Met With Senator To Discuss A Contribution

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 12:41PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

A new Nevada company has surfaced in connection with the widening John Ensign probe.

The Associated Press reports:

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Topics: Doug Hampton, John Ensign, NRSC, Sex, e-Commlink

John Ensign

Credit Card Firm: We Were Subpoenaed By Feds In Ensign Case

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 11:54AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Here's a statement from eCommLink, one of the Nevada companies at the center of the mushrooming John Ensign investigation, acknowledging that it has received a subpoena from the Justice Department:

eCommLink, like a number of other Nevada companies, has received subpoenas regarding the Federal investigation of Senator John Ensign. We are cooperating fully in this investigation.

eCommLink has acted ethically and lawfully at all times and has not been accused of any wrongdoing whatsoever.

We pride ourselves on our own internal commitment to a high level of integrity in all of our business transactions. Additionally, as a member of the financial transaction industry, we are under constant scrutiny due to our strict adherence to the industry regulations and standards.

Ennio Ponzetto
CEO of eCommLink

KLAS-TV reported yesterday that the company, and other credit card firms, contributed to Ensign's NRSC in exchange for Ensign's help in fighting new regulations.

Jack Williams, who KLAS reported was at the time the CEO of eCommLink, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Topics: John Ensign, Justice Department, Sex, e-Commlink

FBI

Report: High-Ranking FBI Official Under Investigation After Alleged Affair

Justin Elliott | March 19, 2010, 10:37AM

Joseph Demarest

The head of the FBI's New York office is under investigation by the Justice Department's internal watchdog in connection with an alleged affair with a lower-level employee, ticklethewire.com reports.

The Web site, which covers federal law enforcement, reports that investigators from the Office of Professional Responsibility are looking at whether Joseph Demarest lied when asked internally about an alleged affair with another employee.

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Topics: FBI, Joseph Demarest, Justice Department, Office of Professional Responsibility

Orly Taitz

California Bar Now Investigating Orly Taitz

Justin Elliott | March 19, 2010, 9:41AM

Orly Taitz

The State Bar of California is investigating Orly Taitz, a process that could ultimately result in the Birther attorney's disbarment, Taitz and her lawyer confirmed to TPMmuckraker.

The investigation was prompted at least in part by a sanction for professional misconduct against Taitz in a Birther case in federal court in Georgia. Taitz continues to fight the $20,000 fine, which was imposed on her for making frivolous filings.

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Topics: Birthers, California, California Bar, Orly Taitz

John Ensign

Ensign Asked Top Nevada GOP Consultant To Meet With Hampton

Zachary Roth | March 19, 2010, 9:38AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Add another name to the list of people Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) approached in his desperate bid to find a job for Doug Hampton after sleeping with Hampton's wife.

Sig Rogich, a veteran Nevada GOP political consultant met with investigators, and told them that he had a meeting with Hampton after "Ensign had asked me to meet him," according to what Rogich told Politico. "I told [Hampton] at a 10-minute meeting I did not have" a job for him, Rogich, a former Reagan administration communications aide, added. "That was it basically."

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Topics: John Ensign, Justice Department, Senate Ethics Committee, Sex, Sig Rogich

John Ensign

Report: Firms Linked To Possible Ensign Quid Pro Quo Subpoenaed

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 6:41PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The Las Vegas news station adds more details about who has been contacted by investigators looking into the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal.

Perhaps most significantly, it reports that "[e]xecutives at card companies eCommLink, Selling Source and Pay Card USA have been served by the grand jury."

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Topics: Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Justice Department, Lobbyists, Senate Ethics Committee, Sex

Hassan Nemazee

Dem Super Donor Nemazee Pleads Guilty To $292M Fraud

Justin Elliott | March 18, 2010, 4:41PM

Hassan Nemazee

Hassan Nemazee, who spent millions on a luxury lifestyle including huge donations to top Democratic politicians, pleaded guilty to a $292 million fraud scheme today in federal court in Manhattan, Reuters reports.

Nemazee's scheme involved borrowing huge sums from three banks and promising to pay off each bank with a loan from one of the others.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Democrats, Hassan Nemazee, Hillary Clinton

John Ensign

Ensign's Office Won't Say If It's Been Subpoenaed

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 4:03PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

Sen. John Ensign's office is declining to say whether it has been subpoenaed by federal investigators probing the aftermath of the senator's sex-and-lobbying scandal.

Asked whether Ensign or his office had received subpoenas, Rebecca Fisher, a spokeswoman for the senator, responded:

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Topics: John Ensign, Justice Department, Lobbyists, Sex

John Ensign

NRSC Subpoenaed In Ensign Probe

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 3:02PM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been subpoenaed by the federal grand jury that's investigating the John Ensign sex-and-lobbying scandal, reports Politico.

Federal investigators asked the NRSC for documents relating to the Nevada senator's 2007-08 tenure as chair of the committee.

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Topics: Doug Hampton, John Ensign, Justice Department, Lobbyists, NRSC

Health Care Reform

Fat Paydays For Key Players On Both Sides Of Health Care Debate

Justin Elliott | March 18, 2010, 2:55PM

Key players in the year-long fight over health care reform -- including heavyweights like PhRMA's Billy Tauzin and Karen Ignagni of America's Health Insurance Plans -- rake in huge annual salaries, according to tax filings.

New IRS rules require non-profits, including trade associations representing health care stakeholders, to disclose more salary information than ever before, a development first reported on by Roll Call.

So TPMmuckraker decided to take a look at what the lobbyists and leaders of these organizations make for a day's work.

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Topics: AHIP, American Medical Association, Chamber of Commerce, Health Care, Health Care Reform, PhRMA, SEIU

Ray McBerry

Two Georgia Gov Candidates Were Accused Of Inappropriate Behavior With Female Students

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 12:00PM

Carl Camon and Ray McBerry, Democratic and Republican candidates for governor of Georgia

What's the matter with Georgia? Two long-shot candidates in the state's governor's race were suspended as school-teachers after allegations of inappropriate conduct with female high-school students.

One of those, Republican Ray McBerry, leads a Georgia secessionist group and is hovering around 2 percent in GOP primary polls. McBerry already last weekend issued a hilarious pre-emptive denial of those charges -- as well as several others. The other, Democrat Carl Camon, is the mayor of Ray City, and polls around 2 percent in the Democratic primary.

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Topics: Carl Camon, Ray McBerry, Sex

John Ensign

Report: Six Businesses Subpoenaed In 'Deadly Serious' Ensign Probe

Zachary Roth | March 18, 2010, 10:04AM

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

It sounds like the federal grand jury probe of the sex-and-lobbying scandal that ensnared Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is getting hotter than a Las Vegas parking lot in July.

Two Justice Department investigators came to Sin City last week with subpoenas for six local business, reports a TV news station -- part of what's described as a "wide-ranging and deadly-serious criminal probe."