PRESS
RELEASE from Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
April 21, 2011
ENSIGN TO RESIGN FROM
OFFICE
Washington, D.C. -
Senator John Ensign today announced his resignation as the 24th United
States Senator from the state of Nevada. In a letter to Vice
President
Joe Biden tomorrow, Senator Ensign will state that his resignation from
office is effective as of May 3, 2011.
"It is with
tremendous sadness that I officially hand over the Senate seat that I
have held for eleven years," said Ensign. "The turbulence of
these
last few years is greatly surpassed by the incredible privilege that I
feel to have been entrusted to serve the people of Nevada. I can
honestly say that being a United States Senator has been the honor of
my life.
"I know that my staff
has been devoted to helping those in our state when they needed our
assistance the most, and I hope that this will be the enduring legacy
that we leave behind. As I close the door to this chapter of my
life,
I am left with memories that I will forever treasure. Traveling
across
our state during the years, I have heard incredible stories of
strength, of struggle, and of compassion. I have met
people who have
forever changed me, and I can say that I will go through life a better
person because of the struggle that I have been through and the support
that I have received.
“While I stand
behind my firm belief that I have not violated any law, rule,
or
standard of conduct of the Senate, and I have fought to prove this
publicly, I will not continue to subject my family, my constituents, or
the Senate to any further rounds of investigation, depositions, drawn
out proceedings, or especially public hearings. For my family and
me,
this continued personal cost is simply too great.
“I am gratified that,
after extended investigations, both the Department of Justice and the
Federal Election Commission saw no grounds on which to charge me with
improper conduct. I was hopeful that, with the closure of
these
investigations against me the wear and tear on my family and me would
soon be over. This was not the case.
“As is its right, the
Senate Ethics Committee is continuing its investigation of issues into
which it has been inquiring for the past year and a half. Indeed,
the
Committee even decided recently to devote more resources to its
investigation by hiring an outside counsel even though the issues have
been viewed and reviewed by so many others.
"I came to office
with the pledge to make this country a better place, but that pledge
does not end with my resignation. I will continue to fight for a
better country and for a future that our children deserve. I cannot
fully express what serving the people of Nevada has meant to me, but I
will try to repay them for their trust for the rest of my life.
"To the people of
Nevada, I humbly say thank you for what you have given to me through
the years. To my family, thank you for the support and love that you
have shown me. To my staff, thank you for coming on this
incredible
journey with me and for standing by me despite the obstacles."
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