Grand Jury Subpoenas Issued in Sen. Ensign Probe

A federal grand jury reportedly has issued subpoenas in a probe of Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who has been under scrutiny for his efforts to find lobbying work for the husband of his former mistress.

According to one subpoena obtained by a Las Vegas television station, recipients were ordered to testify March 31 in Washington, D.C., and to turn over documents relating to the Republican senator.

TV station KLAS reported Thursday that the subpoenas went to six unnamed Las Vegas businesses. One of the subpoenas posted on the station's Web site blacks out the recipient's identity.

Ensign's affair and the legal problems it has engendered have derailed talk that he might make a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and forced him to resign his position as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

Asked about the subpoenas, Ensign's spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher, said, "Sen. Ensign is confident he has complied with all ethics rules and laws and will cooperate with any official inquiries."

The FBI and Senate Ethics Committee are investigating whether Ensign tried to limit political damage from an affair he had with the wife of one of his Senate aides by conspiring to help the aide find a new job as a lobbyist, which might have violated restrictions on lobbying by former congressional staff.

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Toyota Receives Subpoenas From U.S. Grand Jury, SEC

Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday it has received subpoenas from a U.S. federal grand jury and the Securities and Exchange Commission, both requesting documents related to unintended acceleration of its vehicles and the braking system of its Prius hybrid.

The company's disclosure comes one day ahead of the start of congressional hearings into its handling of safety problems responsible for the recall of more than six million vehicles.

Toyota said it intends to cooperate with the investigations and is preparing its responses to the requests.

A person familiar with the matter said the securities-fraud unit of the U.S. attorney's office is handling the investigation but declined to say anything further.

The securities-fraud unit brings cases involving violations by public companies, including improper disclosures or misleading statements made to investors, among other things.

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