Ensign Admits to Payment to Mistress, Her Family

This is the first acknowledgment by Ensign of any payments made to the woman and her family as a result of the affair.

It also comes a day after Doug Hampton, the husband of his mistress, Cindy Hampton, told a Las Vegas TV show that Ensign paid Cindy Hampton more than $25,000 in severance when she quit her job as treasurer for two Ensign-controlled campaign committees in May 2008.

The statement came through Ensign's Dallas-based attorney, Paul Coggins, who said:

"None of the gifts came from campaign or official funds, nor were they related to any campaign or official duties. Sen. Ensign has complied with all applicable laws and Senate ethics rules."

The payment was described as as a single check for $96,000 given to Cindy and Doug Hampton and two of their children, made in April 2008. The Hampton family received the check after Ensign told his parents of his affair with Cindy Hampton.

Doug Hampton stated the following during his TV interview on Wednesday:

"This was at the request of Tom Coburn (Senator, (R-OK)) and some people to try and help them manage John. I didn't talk to John Ensign personally at all. Our attorneys did talk. Our attorneys absolutely talked, because Senator Tom Coburn asked and was involved in these negotiations out of good will and good faith."

Jon Ralston, the Las Vegas Sun columnist who interviewed Hampton, asked: "Tom Coburn, a U.S. Senator, told John Ensign, 'Listen, you've got to deal with this. Make these folks whole. Let them get out of your life. And, let's move on. Isn't that exactly what happened?" To this, Hampton responded: "Absolutely."

Ironically, in 1998, as a House member running against Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, John Ensign called on President Bill Clinton to resign after his affair with Monica Lewinsky was revealed, saying:

“I came to that conclusion recently, and frankly it’s because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through. He has no credibility left.”