Former chief of staff could be key in Ensign case

In a story published over the weekend, Politico notes an irony in the continuing saga of former Sen. John Ensign. If the Nevadan is prosecuted on corruption accusations, "the key witness against him could be his once-loyal chief of staff."

John Lopez, who worked for Ensign dating back to his days as a U.S. House representative, and who became his Senate chief of staff in 2006, was loyal to a fault. He acknowledged to investigators a role in serving as a go-between for allegedly illegal lobbying contacts between Ensign and Doug Hampton, the senator's former administrative assistant.

"I was just in way over my head," Lopez told the Senate Ethics Committee, according to the panel's report released Thursday.

Lopez cooperated with the investigation after obtaining a grant of immunity. He also turned over 1,649 emails from his personal laptop, and another 429 emails he had relocated to the server of his current employer, R&R Partners, the ethics panel said.

"With his front-row seat to the scandal and subsequent cover-up, legal experts believe Lopez is likely be a pivotal figure if prosecutors bring charges against Ensign on issues ranging from helping Doug Hampton violate the one-year lobbying ban on former senior congressional aides, making false statements to the FEC and obstruction of justice," Politico said.

In a further irony, it is believed that Ensign helped cover some of Lopez' legal bills, in the wake of the then-senator's offer last year to pick up the costly payments for staffers and ex-staffers who were being questioned by authorities.

According to a campaign spending report Ensign filed in October, he listed a $25,000 payment to Covington & Burling LLP.  Lopez at the time confirmed his lawyer Robert Kelner was a partner with the firm.

Lopez declined to comment further at the time and has declined to comment following the release of the Senate ethics report.