The decision ends the most serious legal threat facing Ensign, the Nevada Republican who was considered a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012 until the scandal over his affair made national headlines last year and damaged his career.
Ensign's office said he was "certainly pleased" by the decision, which followed a yearlong investigation. The senator could still face disciplinary action by the Senate ethics committee.
The announcement came as something of a surprise to many ethics lawyers, who said there appeared to be significant evidence that Ensign may have conspired to violate a criminal ban on federal lobbying.
While Justice Department officials declined to explain the reasoning behind the decision in the Ensign case, Stanley Brand, a Washington lawyer who specializes in defending clients investigated by the government, and other ethics lawyers said the department appeared wary of taking on political prosecutions after a number of high-profile setbacks for its public integrity section. This includes the decision last year to drop the prosecution against former Sen. Ted Stevens amid charges of prosecutorial misconduct.
This article appeared on page A - 23 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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