Rep. McDermott broke the law with taped call

Posted by: Sister Toldjah on March 29, 2006 at 12:30 pm

Via the AP:

WASHINGTON — 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 Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who was heard on the 1996 call involving then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

The court 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., has acknowledged leaking a tape of a 1996 cell phone call involving Gingrich to The New York Times and other news organizations.

The call included discussion by Gingrich and other House GOP leaders about a House ethics committee investigation of Gingrich. Boehner 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.

So let’s see: McDermott supported Sen. Russ Feingold’s call for censuring the President for alleged “illegal” NSA warrantless surveillance/wiretappping authorized by the administration, yet in his mind HIS taping of a private phone call was ok.

Warrantless wiretapping of conversations between suspected terorrists is bad, but taping a private conversation that doesn’t involve you for political gain is good. Got it!

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17 Responses to “Rep. McDermott broke the law with taped call”

Comments

  1. Severian says:

    Wow, what a surprise, a hypocritical Democrat/liberal. Baghdad Jim should be in jail for this.

    Guess it’s the old liberal hypocrisy though, if the NSA does it to terrorists, it’s an “illegal domestic wire tapping scandal.” If a Democratic politician does it it’s “keeping the publics right to know intact.” Just like if a leak damages the country and Bush, it’s a “whistleblower” but if a leak damages a Democrat, it’s an evil leaker, ala Linda Trip or Valerie Plame affair.

  2. forest hunter says:

    I can hardly wait for the resident moron’s factless response.

  3. steve says:

    Here goes….McDermott did not make the tape, he obtained the tape from someone else. To my knowledge the person who actually made the tape has never been identified. McDermott was acting as the “reporter”, and his defense was logical. Hopefully, he’ll appeal today’s decision to the Supreme Court. bush, violated the the 1st and 4th Amendments to the Constitution, by allowing the NSA to spy on us without a warrant, which are impeachable offenses. If we are a nation of laws, then bush must be impeached. Peace

  4. PCD says:

    steve(FN), the Florida couple who made the tape have been identified and plead guilty to charges. They fingered McDermott. Steve(FN), why do you insist on slamming doors into your own face? Are you incapable of paying attention to the whole story?

  5. benning says:

    And a lawyer for the idiot justifying the law-breaking. What a novlety, eh?

  6. steve says:

    The couple in Florida, as it turns out, lied. They claimed to have “accidentaly” taped the call when using their cell phone. The strange thing about that was that the Boehner call was a conference call. At any rate after they taped the call they sent it to McDermott, a freshman congressmen, for no particular reason except they thought he was in Congress. Anything to add PCD? You know about how that was an election year and both sides were doing dirty tricks. bush should be impeached for violating the 1st and 4th Amendment of the Constitution. Peace

  7. sanity says:

    but steve, your a religous anarchist, you don’t believe in mans laws…so why should impeachment according to mans laws matter to you?

  8. Mwalimu Daudi says:

    Rep. Jim McDermott, who was for wiretapping before he was against it, should now be considered the Democratic frontrunner for President in 2008. If Bush can be impeached for obeying the law on wiretapping, surely McDermott can win the White House by fracturing it.

    To seal the deal, all he needs to do is drown a young woman who is not his wife. That will earn him the never-ending worship of the Far Left and the MSM.

  9. sanity says:

    Was the wiretap tapes shoved down his pants clinton-ish style?

    He probably will only get a slap on the wrist anyways, after all, he is a democrat.

    Will he resign immediately, step down from his post?

    After all this is a CONVICTION not an indictment.

  10. forest hunter says:

    The couple in Florida didn’t lie steve. They were democrats.

  11. PCD says:

    steve(FN), I don’t know where you get the crap you post, but you are wrong. McDermott was not a freshman Congressman at the time. The FL couple were die hard Democrat activists. The only thing you got right is that the couple was looking to tape record conversations, a felony in most states.

    steve(FN), you realize by yourself lying and posting lies that you have destroyed your own credibility?

  12. Can someone tell me what the “FN” beside the use of steve’s name stands for please?

  13. PCD says:

    FN = Flat Nose.

    It is derived from Rush’s riff on Democrats slamming the door in their own faces when it comes to being wrong.

  14. steve says:

    The Republican controlled Senate, yesterday passed a corrupt bill that allows the greedy lobbyist to continue to pay bribes to these same corrupt and greedy Republican Senators and Representatives. And this on the same day that Jack Abramoff, a corrupt, greedy Republican crony, was sentenced to 6 years in prison for criminal acts. Shame, shame, shame. Peace

  15. PCD says:

    steve(FN), turn around. Your Democrat friends are grabbing all the lobbyist money they can pocket too. Are you jealous that no one backs up the money truck to your apartment?

  16. Mahwah says:

    Let’s see…:-?

    ST posts current event story detailing a federal court ruling in which a prominent Democrat was found GUILTY of releasing an illegally taped private phone conversation in order to further his career and the power of the Democrats.

    steve posts ‘his’ version of the story.

    Other posters quickly rebuke his posts and show he is lying, by renumerating the true facts of the case.

    steve refuses to admit he was wrong, and immediately changes directions by posting off-topic comments to distract all from the fact that he was caught spewing more Liberal distortions.

    Way to go, steve! Has MoveOn.org given you honorary lifetime membership yet?

  17. steve says:

    Again, I’m a religious anarchist and give no truck to either the Democrats or the Republicans. It just so happens that the Republicans control everything so it’s “hammer” time for them. If they lose power in November, and they will, it’ll be “hammer” time for the Democrats. Democracy, don’t you just love it? Peace Peace