Former Justice Official: Criminal Probe of Ensign 'Likely'

A former Department of Justice Public Integrity official says a criminal investigation by U.S. attorneys of Nevada Sen. John Ensign "is likely."

It's "hard to say what, exactly, the charges could be," said the former official, one of the lead prosecutors against Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff who was convicted of lying and obstructing an investigation into the outing of a CIA official.

But "based on media reports, a range of statutes might be implicated," the former official, who requested anonymity, told FOX News.

Ensign, a Republican, is in hot water for an extramarital affair he had with a campaign aide -- including reports that he tried to hide it by finding a consulting and lobbying job for his mistress' husband, Doug Hampton, that he arranged for a $96,000 payment to the couple and that he promoted and gave pay raises to his mistress around the time of the affair.

The Justice Department is expected to decide within weeks whether to pursue an investigation, Politico reported Wednesday.

Click here to read Politico's report.

Federal criminal law prohibits congressional aides from lobbying their former bosses or office colleagues for one year after after they leave their jobs.

FOX News' Mike Levine contributed to this report.