Fox news anchor made aware of Ensign affair a week before announced

[WI_DEM]

A week before John Ensign's admission that he'd carried on an affair with a former political aide, her husband wrote a letter to Fox anchor Megyn Kelly detailing the affair and appealing to Kelly and Fox for help.

The husband, Doug Hampton, told Kelly that Ensign's actions had ruined his family. "I am hoping you and Fox News can help," he wrote.

Here's the full text of Hampton's letter. (Highlights added.):


1211 Avenue of the America’s (sic)

New York, New York 10036

Megyn Kelly,

More than any time in my life I understand why people take matters into their own hands. I am disheartened! I have sought wise counsel, tried to do the right thing and continue to run into road blocks (sic) in dealing with a very terrible circumstance and injustice that lives in my life. I am hoping you and Fox News can help.

My name is Doug Hampton. I am a former employee of US (sic) Senator John Ensign. I worked for Senator Ensign in his official government office on Capitol Hill from November 2006 to April 2008. My responsibilities were the oversight of his personnel in Washington as well as the state of Nevada. Duties included budgets, policy and public speaking on behalf of the Senator and his initiatives.

Here is my story. In December of 2007 in the midst of some very difficult personal issues that deeply impacted my family and marriage, Senator Ensign pursued and engaged in a relationship with my wife. Our families were lifelong friends, our children attend school together to this day, and our homes are in neighborhoods across from each other. My wife was the Senator’s campaign treasurer.

There is a tremendous amount (sic) of details and critical facts associated with this story and their relationship that will not be addressed in this letter but are very important and need to be further explored if you choose to meet with me. The purpose of this letter is to establish the framework for discussion and provide enough information to warrant a meeting with you and Fox News. This is the only letter of its kind and no other news stations have been contacted with this information. I have great respect and affection for Fox News and many of your collages (sic). I’m sending this to you because you have a legal back ground (sic) and this story has several legal elements.

The unethical behavior and immoral choice of Senator Ensign has been confronted by me and others on a number of occasions over this past year. In fact one of the confrontations took place in February 2008 at his home in Washington DC (sic) with a group of his peers. One of the attendee’s (sic) was Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma as well as several other men who are close to the Senator. Senator Ensign’s conduct and relentless pursuit of my wife led to our dismissal in April of 2008. I would like to say he stopped his heinous conduct and pursuit upon our leaving, but that was not the case and his actions did not subside until August of 2008.

The actions of Senator Ensign have ruined our lives and careers and left my family in shambles. We have lost significant income, suffered indescribable pain and emotional suffering. We find ourselves today with an overwhelming loss of relationships, career opportunities and hope for recovery. Our pursuit of justice continues to place me and my family in harm’s way as we fear for our well being (sic).

Today, Senator Ensign’s responsibility and stature have increased within the US (sic) Senate. His is currently the head of “Policy” for the Republican Party, the number four position within the Parties (sic) leadership team. We on the other hand are completely ruined and left to deal with the aftermath of very evil and completely unjustifiable acts by one of our countries (sic) top leaders.

It appears there may be nothing the law can do to correct and bring justice and restitution to (sic) this terrible wrong that has been done to us. I have sought a number of lawyers who are having difficulty finding charges that may hold up in court. There are either technicalities that exist due to the time period in which I have sought help, or other nuances that quite frankly make no sense to me given the egregious acts and blatant abuse of power by Senator Ensign. From my perspective this whole nightmare is terribly wrong and completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

I clearly understand this story is difficult to believe for anyone reading (sic) for the first time. I too would have difficulty believing it, if someone brought me this story. However I assure you it is true and there are facts, a paper trail, phone records and personal witnesses to testify to its truth. It is my belief we are dealing with a very powerful person and an institution in the US (sic) Senate that only the media can pierce to expose the wrong and bring light and focus to what needs to be done? (sic)

Please help me! This should not be how the leadership of our country should be allowed to behave. I need justice, help and restitution for what Senator Ensign has done to me and my family. Regardless of technicalities, regardless of position, regardless of power this cannot and should not be tolerated in our country from our trusted leaders. Will you help? Will you consider a meeting with me to further discuss this story and what can be done to bring justice and correction to this situation?

I love this country and considered it a great privilege to work in the US (sic) Senate. I am bringing this to you and Fox News to address this professionally and correctly. I could have sought the most liberal, Republican hating media to expose this story, but there are people’s lives at stake and justice is about proper process as well as outcome. Senator Ensign has no business serving in the US (sic) Senate anymore! I will send you and (sic) email as well as leave you and your staff messages in an attempt to meet you and your team as soon as possible. I live and work in Nevada but can be in New York within hours, I look forward to your help.

Sincerely,

Doug Hampton
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/19/text-husbands-letter/

[MineralMan]

1. Oh, my! That is interesting.

Again, I say, Ensign is toast. His Senate career is not going to survive this. Even the GOOPers are going to call for him to resign.

Bye, now, Ensign!

[malaise]

2. Oops

The shit is about to hit the fan. :popcorn:

[Fovea]

3. It is going to be fun watching

Faux suck this one up, or rather, try to dismiss it.

The biggest scandal of the year on the hill, and they would not touch it.

Hmm. so much for retaining that broadcast license.

[Lancer]

4. Sounds like a major CYA to me!

:nopity:

He can't get possessives and compound words right and yet he spells "privilege" correctly. Go figure.

But spelling's the least of his problems. Bringing Coburn into this is a major deal. Paging Orville Redenbacher.

[WeDidIt]

5. Coburn knowning could eb a HUGE proiblem for the GOP

That's indicative of a conspiracy to coverup paying these people off with GOP money.

[peacetalksforall]

6. I hope we are not in the pre-period to another 'suicide' or a major personal attack and lie

campaign that is equally tragic. On the other hand, if they are going to crucify the Hampton's, I hope it's the usual team - Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Savage, Coulter, Ingrahm as orchestrated by Rove and Ailes/Murdoch/and producers of the the xBC's..

[DebbieCDC]

7. If he thought Fux would help him he's sadly mistaken

[gratuitous]

8. Whether Fox would help Hampton or not

And that would probably be "not," considering that Fox was the last network to run the Ensign story. But the fact that Hampton was writing to Fox puts the lie to Ensign's press conference assertion that he was being extorted and had to come forth with the truth. Blackmailers usually make their demands before they go to the media. That's their hammer, see? Once Hampton sent his letter off to Fox, he can't blackmail Ensign anymore.

And now Ensign is walking back his initial claim that he was being blackmailed. It's almost like you can't trust a thing he says!

[ellenfl]

10. he wanted $ from fox, not help. this, imo, was a thinly veiled

extortion attempt. what did he expect from fox news that he would not get from another network? silence and cover-up. fox would tell ensign what was going on and ensign would offer the $. that way, hampton could not be accused of blackmail.

ellen fl

[XOKCowboy]

9. Of course Faux says they never received the letter..

Must have gotten lost in the socialist USPS.