According to News 8 in Las Vegas, the Justice Department is beginning to build a case for indictment against John Ensign. If any of these reported items are true, a federal Grand Jury in Washington has issued subpoenas that were served against at least six businesses in Las Vegas related to the Ensign affair:
Subpoenas have been issued to at least six las vegas businesses. The Justice Department came to Las Vegas to interview several prominent business and political figures in what appears to be a wide-ranging and deadly-serious criminal probe.
On March 8, 2010, a two person team from the DOJ came to Las Vegas with a fistful of subpoenas to serve on local businessmen who have had dealings with Senator Ensign or his staff since January 2008. The team consisted of a special agent from the FBI and a prosecutor from the Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice.
Uh oh.
According to the subpoena prosecutors and investigators from the FBI are seeking information and testimony under oath about any of the following:
- John Ensign
- John Lopez
- Doug Hampton
- Cindy Hampton
- Michael Slanker
- Lindsey Slanker
- November, Inc. or any of its employees
- Any contact with John Ensign's staff or employees
- Post-employment restrictions on former government employees, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. 207 and Senate Rule 37.9
From the News 8 report:
The subpoenas sought any and all records; including emails, phone calls and calendars regarding any interaction the Las Vegas businesses may have had with Ensign, his Chief of Staff John Lopez, Doug Hampton, Hampton's wife Cindy -- the object of the senator's romantic interest -- Ensign's principal political advisor Mike Slanker, and Slanker's company November Inc. Slanker and wife Lindsay were hired by Ensign to run the fundraising effort for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
After Ensign's affair with Hampton's wife became known, Ensign urged the Slankers to hire Hampton at November Inc. Hampton was later hired by two Nevada companies with known ties to Ensign, but the trail of subpoenas makes it clear the Justice Department wants to know if other Las Vegas businesses had their arms twisted to give work to Hampton, or whether they were pressured by Ensign or his senate staffers, and what the businesses expected in return.
According to multiple sources familiar with the grand jury subpoenas, investigators do not believe any of the Nevada companies did anything illegal. Their interest is focused on Ensign, Hampton, and others who may have assisted in trying to steer income Hampton's way.
The Washington grand jury wants all of the subpoenaed records by the end of this month, indicating the investigation is moving rapidly.
The fact that the justice department flew a prosecutor and an FBI agent out to Nevada to serve these businesses in person to me indicates the DOJ is preparing a case to start locking people up. Moving along at this pace, we could expect the Grand Jury to begin handing down indictments right in the middle of election season. This story is going to blow anything about Massa or Rangel or anybody else right out of the water. It's got all the juicy elements you need in a good TV miniseries: powerful men, adultery, bribery, and courtroom drama.
Popcorn is at the ready.