i also again want to personally thank our special counsel, carol elder bruce and her team. our founders gave congress the responsibility to ensure that its members behave ethically. we do this. the ethics committee tries to do this by working to prevent violations of rules and laws when possible. we try to work with colleagues before they do something they shouldn't do. we try to train colleagues so that they understand what we mean when we say don't bring any kind of shame upon the senate. and then if something bad happens, we give a fair hearing, we might sanction them, and we do when necessary. now, this isn't an easy task, but every member of the ethics committee is submitted to fulfilling our critical responsibility in a thorough, fair and a bipartisan fashion. when senator ensign resigned, he said, and i quote -- "i have not violated any law, any rule or a standard of conduct." unquote. i want to go on record as chairman of the ethics committee to say how strongly i disagree with that statement. let's be clear, it was senator ensign's actions that led to the ethics co

naturs of us to come to conclusions that we came to t today.ea i want to repeat my thanks tolde carol elder bruce f for elder bruce for her commend this effort in the work she the work she did as well as brain solarz, make missile and john who will w work with her legal team. the staff of the ethics committee staff director john susman has been invaluable and as for tireless hours to see toe it every iowa started, teaser cost and committee did its job and bill corcoran indians figure, thanks to them for all the effort they made. b i will end where it began. no one in public officet we have volunteers for the type of responsibility we have had in the case of senator ensign.hat all of us to a responsibility when it upon us, recognizing integrity of the senate ande fue integrity of o our decision was important in the future of this body. xm is the deliberations were ine the ultimate result was, it was proof that the senate and itstaa ethics committee cannd stand ins the effort necessaryee to seek e at the institution's integrity perceived in t fhe futurenendan. uninhibited and in danger.ess te mr. c

webei believe they found theev truth.t i also again want to personally thank our special counsel carol elder bruce and her team. tea our founders gave congress the responsibility to ensure that its members behaved ethically. we do this, the ethics committee, tries to do this by working to prevent violations of rules and laws when possible.os. we before they do something they shouldn't do. we try to train colleagues so that they understand what we mean when we say, don't bring any kind of shame upon the senate.and and t then, if something bad happens, we give a fair hearing, and we might sanction them and. we do when necessary. this isn't an easy task, but every mcoember of the ethicsfu committee isil committed to fulfilling our critical responsibility and a thorough, fair and a bipartisan fashion. when senator ensign resigned he said and i quote, i related any law, any rule, or standard of conduct, unquote. i want to go on record as chairman of the ethics committee to say how strongly i disagree with thatwi statement. c .. him. it was senator ensign's action that led to a 22-month investigation by