Because, of course, having Democrats in office is much more important than having lawmakers who arenÂ’t lawbreakers.

For lawmakers faced with mounting legal bills, itÂ’s good to have friends in high places with deep pockets.

Members of the leadership on both sides of the aisle cut checks to legally embattled House colleagues, and even Barbra Streisand contributed $1,000 to Rep. Jim McDermottÂ’s (D-Wash.) legal expense fund.

* * *

So far, McDermott is the only member enlisting real star power. McDermott reported his $1,000 donation from Streisand to his legal defense fund during the last quarter of 2007, when he amassed a total of $65,304. Rep. John LarsonÂ’s (D-Conn.) leadership PAC donated $2,500, while the lionÂ’s share of his contributions came from constituents.

McDermott ramped up his funding after a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia made it more likely that he would have to pay a $60,000 fine and $880,000 in attorneysÂ’ fees in a nearly decade-long battle with Boehner. At issue is an illegally taped phone call between Boehner and former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) that McDermott leaked to the media. During the same time period, McDermott had $89,920 in expenses for a variety of fundraising costs as well as $64,169 in legal fees to the Jones Day law firm.

McDermott engaged in behavior that would be illegal if your or I did it. The courts agree that his conduct was illegal. And yet he still sits in Congress, and is still raking in donations from celebrities and fellow members of Congress. Disgusting.

Posted by: Greg at 01:36 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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