Coburn Claims Constitutional Shield on Advice to Ensign

• By John Stanton and Jennifer Yachnin
• Roll Call Staff
• July 9, 2009, 12:26 p.m.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Thursday said he would not testify in court or before the Ethics Committee about any advice he gave Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) on how to handle his affair with a former staffer, citing constitutional protections for communications during religious counseling, as well as the patient confidentiality privilege.