GOP Bloggers :: McDermott Broke Law For Illegal Leak

Michigan Turning Red? | Main | A Clear Choice On Security Issues

March 28, 2006

McDermott Broke Law For Illegal Leak

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Rep. Jim McDermott violated federal law by turning over an illegally taped telephone call to reporters nearly a decade ago.

In a 2-1 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a lower court ruling that McDermott violated the rights of House Majority Leader John Boehner, who was heard on the 1996 call involving former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The lower court had ordered McDermott to pay Boehner more than $700,000 for leaking the taped conversation. The figure includes $60,000 in damages and at least $600,000 in legal costs.

McDermott, D-Wash., leaked to The New York Times and other news organizations a tape of a 1996 cell phone call The call included discussion by Gingrich, R-Ga., and other House GOP leaders about a House ethics committee investigation of Gingrich. Boehner, R-Ohio, was a Gingrich lieutenant at the time and is now House majority leader.

A lawyer for McDermott had argued that his actions were allowed under the First Amendment, and said a ruling against him would have "a huge chilling effect" on reporters and newsmakers alike.

Figures, Democrats think the First Amendment excuses them from breaking the law, and violating others' privacy... Interesting how Democrats are not furious over this, but they are over the wiretapping of terrorists... Hmm...

Posted by Matt Margolis on March 28, 2006 02:27 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.gopbloggers.org/mt/majority.cgi/3395

Comments

Here's a challenge for you, Matt: Show one Democrat who opposes the wiretapping of terrorists. I'll even give you a hint: Opposing warrantless surveillence of people in the U.S. in violation of FISA is not "opposing the wiretapping of terrorists," now matter how many times you click your ruby heels together and chant that it is. Provide a quote from a Democrat saying, "We should not be monitoring terrorist communication at all." Go ahead.

C'mon, you issue that talking point with such confidence, you must be able to back it up, right? Right?

Nope, you can't. Looking forward to your spin, though. It should be funny.

Posted by: SeesThroughIt at March 28, 2006 08:55 PM

Right... The Dems don't really want to stop the wiretapping of terroists. They just want to impeach the President for doing it, and then convict the vice president for condoning it, then the National Security Advisor, until they get someone in office that they would like. It ain't gonna happen.

Posted by: Joshua at March 29, 2006 12:32 AM