Coburn Denies Role in Negotiating Ensign Affair Payoff

Sen. Tom Coburn on Sunday denied that he had a role in helping Sen. John Ensign negotiate a payoff of a former aide and friend, whose wife had an affair with the Nevada Republican senator.

Coburn twice said no when asked if Doug Hampton was telling the truth when he said in an interview airing on ABC's "Nightline" Monday that Coburn suggested Hampton take $1 million and the buyout on his house in exchange for suppressing news of the affair between Ensign and Cynthia Hampton, who was also a treasurer for Ensign's campaign.

Doug Hampton added that when approached about a deal, Ensign said, "No can do. Not going to happen."

Coburn acknowledged that he did serve as an intermediary for Ensign and the Hamptons, saying he was trying "to bring two families to a closure of a very painful episode."

"There's no question that Doug called me and said, 'Will you talk to John about solving a problem?' And so I called John Ensign and said, 'Do you want me to talk to him?' He said,'"Yes,'" Coburn told ABC's "This Week."

"But, you know, the -- the question that's worrisome is, what is the motivation now for -- for this? Doug obviously asked to have some remuneration for the injury that he had. And on private sector, that happens all the time. But there -- there was no negotiation. There was, 'I'll pass it along,' or, 'Yes, I won't,'" he added.

Ensign's parents paid $96,000 to Cynthia Hampton in April 2008. Ensign has said that the money was a gift, but Doug Hampton calls it severence, which would be a breach in Senate ethics rules.