Sir Jim McDermott will have to pay the fine to Rep Boehner for his 1996 indiscretion in leaking an illegally obtained wiretap.

McDermott Disappointed At Supreme Court Rejection

Congressman Jim McDermott said he's disappointed the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider his appeal.

He said he believes he had a First Amendment free speech case.

Monday's decision leaves a federal appeals court ruling in place. The court said that McDermott should not have leaked a tape-recorded phone call to newspapers. It recorded Republican leaders in 1996 discussing the ethics case against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

The ruling upholds a previous decision ordering McDermott to pay House Minority Leader John Boehner, of Ohio, who was one of the people on the call. The amount is still being determined but it could be more than $700,000.

Boehner's lawyer said he's gratified by the decision.

More at Politicio:

Boehner finally wins legal fight with McDermott over illegally taped call

The Supreme Court refused today to take up an appeal by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) of a lower court ruling ordering him to pay a fine and attorneys' fees in a years-long legal battle with now House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), finally bringing an end to the case.

The Associated Press is reporting that the Supreme Court has declined to hear McDermott's appeal, leaving the Washington Democrat with no more legal options in the case. He must now pay $60,000 in damages to  Boehner, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills.

The case centered around an illegally taped Dec. 1996 phone calls between House Republican leaders, including Boehner, to plot strategy in response to an ethics case against then Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). The illegal tape eventually made its way to McDermott, who was ranking member of the House ethics committee. McDermott leaked it to the press, incuding The New York Times. Boehner then sued McDermott, alleging that McDermott's action harmed him personally. McDermott argued that he was protected under the First Amendment, since Republican leaders had promised not to take any concerted action in response to the Gingrich investigation by the ethics committee, and he was supported by a number of prominent news organizations. The Florida couple that made the tape eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

...

Boehner has offered this comment in response to the Supreme Court action today: “As I’ve said many times: when you break the law in pursuit of a political opponent, you’ve gone too far. Members of Congress have a responsibility not only to obey the laws of our country and the rules of our institution, but also to defend the integrity of those laws and rules when they are violated. That’s why I chose this course of action nearly a decade ago. It was the right fight for the right reasons, and I am pleased to see it reach a successful conclusion today. I want to express my appreciation for the support of my constituents and the many individuals throughout our country who have supported my efforts to ensure justice is done in this matter.” 

Pay up Cheapo.  You're guilty.

And I am still waiting for you to renouce your title IAW with the US Constitution.

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