The Las Vegas Sun is reporting that John Ensign will be moving out of the Christian townhouse on C Street that has, for years, housed representatives and senators wishing to live with colleagues who share their faith.

Ensign, who admitted to having an affair with a campaign staffer, is being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee and now talks of criminal inquiry by the justice department have also emerged. Ensign says he decided to move out so that the C Street House wouldn’t get any more negative media attention because of his affair.

The C Street townhouse is occupied by what is called “The Family”–politicians who are thought to be selected by God to lead. What we do know is that there have been several affairs among this group. Among the most well known: Mark Sanford, Chip Pickering, David Vitter and John Ensign.

What we don’t know is whether this is merely an accountability group–men who read the Bible and pray together in an effort to stay faithful to their faraway wives or whether the secrecy is related to strange beliefs that would cause even Christian conservatives to raise an eyebrow.

Here is what some have said about The Family:
-Jill Lawrence: When good congressmen go bad.
-Cal Thomas has spoken to The Family and says that there’s no reason to be suspicious. Just because some members have had very public moral failings, doesn’t mean the group that tries to hold them accountable shouldn’t exist.
-The Washington Post reveals that Tom Coburn tried to help Doug Hampton and Senator Ensign reach a financial settlement. We also know that when The Family told Ensign to write Hampton this break-up letter, he complied and was even escorted to Fedex by a member of The Family; but called her immediately after it was sent and told her to disregard and also reportedly told Doug Hampton, “I’m in love with your wife.” How’s that for nerve?
-Here is an interview with Jeff Sharlet who lived with The Family in 2002 and wrote a book entitled “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power”. He discloses a number of disturbing practices–among them: the amount of money that changes hands within the group, a kind of “veto power” that members have over each others lives, and his claim that their conservative agenda is driven more by a belief in Christian capitalism than social issues such as abortion, gay marriage, etc.

…more to come

Tags: Abraham Vereide, C Street, Chip Pickering, Christian townhouse, Cynthia Hampton, Dan Coates, Dave Berns, David Coe, David Vitter, Doug Coe, Doug Hampton, Jeff Sharlet, Jenny Sanford, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, Las Vegas Sun, Mark Sanford, Sam Brownback, State of Nevada interview, The Family, Tom Coburn, Wendy Vitter