McDermott asks for help paying off his legal fees
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, September 1, 2001
SEATTLE — U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott is asking for help covering costs from a lawsuit over his release of an illegally recorded Newt Gingrich cell-phone call.
In a letter to voters last month, the Seattle Democrat’s legal defense fund asked for contributions toward his more than $400,000 in legal fees. "Don’t let Newt Gingrich have the last laugh," it said.
McDermott was sued by Republican Rep. John Boehner of Ohio after he released to the media a tape of a 1996 conversation Boehner had with then-Speaker Gingrich and other House Republican leaders. The conversation was illegally recorded by a Florida couple using a scanner.
The U.S. Supreme Court dealt Boehner’s case a serious blow in May when it ruled that a radio host could not be sued for playing the tape on the air. The court said "publishing matters of public importance" outweighed the lawmakers’ interest in keeping the conversation private.
Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling, Boehner is pressing his lawsuit against McDermott. Last week, his lawyer filed a brief with the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia saying McDermott’s case was distinct from the radio host’s.
McDermott had raised $151,536 toward his legal fees as of July 31.
Washington state Republican Chairman Chris Vance criticized the fund-raising efforts.
"Jim McDermott took illegally obtained information and gave it to the media," Vance said. "Let’s not lose sight of that. If he did that with property, he’d be called a fence."
‘Bad year’ for drownings in Washington: The number of drowning deaths in Washington this year has already surpassed last year’s total — and it’s only early September. Officials say more than 48 people have drowned so far this year around the state, compared to 43 in 2000. Of those this year, 16 have happened in the Puget Sound region. The latest was the death of a 14-year-old boy Tuesday when he was swimming in Kent’s Lake Meridian in south King County. Marine authorities are convinced that sometimes boaters and people playing in the water forget how strong nature’s forces can be. Many refuse to take the necessary precautions, such as snapping on a lifejacket. With warmer temperatures this summer, more people are spending time in or on water, said Lt. Rodney Rochon, president of the Washington Boating Safety Officers Association. "It’s been a bad year for drownings," Rochon said. "People are going to the water on anything that will float." Rochon’s association estimates thousands of people statewide will have been on the water during the Labor Day weekend.
Many of those who died last year were familiar with the water where they drowned. Some of the adults had been drinking, and few were wearing lifejackets.
"It doesn’t take much," said Chris Jonason, who works for the Washington Outfitters and Guides Association in Ellensburg. "Of course, human judgment isn’t always the best."
Old skeleton uncovered on Vancouver Island: A skeleton believed to be 2,000 years old has been uncovered on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island. The remains were uncovered Thursday while work was under way on property belonging to the Norske Skog mill, according to the North Cowichan-Duncan Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The location is a known archaeological site in the traditional territory of the Halalt First Nation, according to Dave Hutchcroft, a heritage resource specialist with the B.C. Archaeology Branch. The remains were uncovered by maintenance workers, who were fixing a broken water line in an area used by mill employees for picnics and recreation. The work was immediately halted, and the remains were to be reburied, with the assistance of the Halalt First Nation. Hutchcroft said 2,000 years is a good guess, based on what is known about the site and other sites on the B.C. coast.
From Herald news services
