Rep. McDermott Loses Illegal Taping Case

An appellate court has ordered Rep. Jim McDermott to pay Rep. John Boehner over $700,000 for providing an illegally taped phone call between Boehner, Newt Gingrich, and others to the press. The costs included $60,000 in damages and $600,000 in legal fees.

This was the tape that was supposedly made by a pair of grandparents out Christmas shopping in 1996; they claimed to have picked up the conversation on their scanner and used recording equipment already in their car to tape the phone call. The couple, who were Democratic Party activists, turned the tape over to McDermott, who gave it to the press.