Republican Family Values: Quid Pro Ho Edition

Just the other day, I said: Hey, Mom and Dad, could you give $96,000.00 to some woman I screwed, and her family? In unmarked bills?

Unfortunately, my parents stopped doing my laundry when I moved out. Not so for Johnny Ensign's parents:

Sen. John Ensign's attorney acknowledged Thursday that the Nevada Republican's parents paid nearly $100,000 to the family of his mistress around the time she and her husband left his staff in April 2008.

In a statement from Paul Coggins, Ensign's attorney, said that the senator gave Doug Hampton, Cindy Hampton and their two children gifts worth $96,000 and that "each gift was limited to $12,000." [Which was it, the Senator or his parents? Get better writers, Politic-ho -- RA]

"The payments were made as gifts, accepted as gifts and complied with tax rules governing gifts," Coggins said.

Coggins said that after Ensign told his parents about his affair with Cindy Hampton -who was an then a campaign aide - the senator's parents "decided to make the gifts out of concern for the well-being of long-time family friends during a difficult time.

"The gifts are consistent with a pattern of generosity by the Ensign family to the Hamptons and others."

That last statement was a huge mistake, Coggsy. Someone is going to demand proof.