Boehner wins Civil Suit against McDermott

[Catherine Vincent]

Boehner wins civil suit against McDermott
By Jackie Kucinich
May 01, 2007

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) did not have the right to disclose a tape that contained an illegally recorded call between now-Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and members of Republican leadership in 1996, according to a D.C. United States Court of Appeals ruling released Tuesday.

According to court documents, Boehner, who was then Republican Conference chairman, participated in a conference call of Republican leaders, including then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.). The GOP leaders discussed Gingrich’s decision to accept a reprimand from the ethics committee in exchange for the committee’s pledge not to hold a hearing.

The cell phone conversation was picked up by a police scanner and taped by two individuals, John and Alice Martin, who later passed it along to McDermott. The lawmaker, who was the ranking Democrat on the ethics panel at the time, then gave the tape to the media.

“When Representative McDermott became a member of the Ethics Committee, he voluntarily accepted a duty of confidentiality that covered his receipt and handling of the Martins’ illegal recording,” the decision said. “He therefore had no First Amendment right to disclose the tape to the media.”

more....http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/boehner-wins-civil-suit-against-mcdermott-2007-05-01.html

Question: Did Lewinsky file against Tripp and did Lewinsky win?

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Martins' illegal recording?

It went over police scanners ferchrissake! How is recording it illegal?

As far as "Boehner wins"...well, it looks like "Boehner lost" the first go round or it wouldn't be in the D.C. Appeals Court.

[Hidden Stillness]

2. Disgusting

If it is picked up on a cell phone, then it is part of the public airwaves, and not a closed-circuit phone call. They actually warn cell phone users about this--that what you say is "public," and could actually be heard by people not even trying to listen to you, and so therefore the taping is not of a private phone call, but a public airwave. By the way, Boner handed out checks from the tobacco industry right on the floor of the House of Representatives to bribe Republicans to vote for their corporate interests, before becoming their "Leader," as reported by Bill Moyers and others. That was supposed to be illegal, but I guess it is not, when they do it. My guess is that the "judge" here is a "loyal Bushie."

[madfloridian]

3. Chilling.

That will make anyone who knows truth be afraid to speak out.

[MiniMe]

4. I hope they play the tape again and again while they report Boner won

It would serve him right.:evilgrin:

[flamin lib]

5. That's interesting. Isn't there a case involving a drug bust made

when a neighbor overheard a conversation on his cordless phone from a phone across the street and the courts ruled the eavesdropping legal because the cordless phone emitted a signal across the air?

Can't remember all the details, but it sounds very much like this situation only reversed.

[blogslut]

6. Damn

I donated to McDermott's defense and he's not even my congressman. I like him that much. Boehner's a punk.