Speaker John Boehner’s insistence on fighting to keep the Defense of Marriage Act is busting his budget, according to a complaint filed by a government watchdog group.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics alleges that Boehner directed payment of $500,000 to the law firm selected to defend DOMA and that not only is that more money than the federal government has to spend, it’s also illegal.
CREW points to the Antideficiency Act, which it says is designed to stop government officials from overspending - violations of which can lead to jail time.
Boehner’s spokesman strongly denied any wrongdoing in a statement to The Hill newspaper.
“The Speaker expects any cost to be recouped from the Obama Administration Justice Department, which should be defending the law in court,” said Michael Steel. “The ‘anti-deficiency act’ has nothing to do with this situation, as anyone with a basic grasp of the law knows.”
CREW’s executive director pressed the hypocrisy label in her announcement of the complaint.
“Speaker Boehner has vowed to end deficit spending and usher in a new era of government fiscal austerity, warning Americans we need to make do with less. But apparently, the House leadership can continue freely spending money it doesn’t have,” said Melanie Sloan, the group’s executive director, in a statement. “This is yet another case of do as I say, not as I do.”
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