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Dems Upset Over Boehner’s DOMA Lawyer Using Prejudice Not Facts

John Boehner has made it clear that he does not want to abandon the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act even if it means relying upon the most horrific of “harmful and unreasonable arguments”. Boehner’s pet lawyer, Paul Clement, has been relying upon a lot of discredited and biased research regarding marriage equality and using it in legal briefs in court.

Clement has, so far, that DOMA is Constitutional because lesbians and gays are inferior parents, being gay is a choice, and that LGBT Americans are not regularly victims of discrimination and, thus, should not be granted protected status as a class. That last one flies in the face of Supreme Court precedent.

Always budget conscious, the House Republicans decided to pay Clement millions that could go to disaster relief because President Barack Obama decided to no longer waste money defending a law that is so obviously unconstitutional.

Now, several Democrats are saying that Clement does not represent them or even the scientists he cited in his arguments. These include Tammy Baldwin, David Cicilline, John Conyers, Barney Frank, Jerrold Nadler, and Jared Polis.

They have written to Boehner saying “It is incumbent upon all lawyers — especially those paid for by taxpayers and responsible for representing a branch of our government — to undertake representation in an objective manner that is factually and legally supportable. Unfortunately, the outside counsel that you have retained have filed pleadings containing arguments and assertions that are troubling and appear to fall short of this standard.”

They are also citing Professor Lisa Diamond’s complaint that Clement has misrepresented her research. They also stated that much has changed since DOMA was passed fifteen years ago and that Clement’s arguments “do not withstand the test of time or scrutiny.”

The Representatives are asking Boehner, again, to grant them a briefing about the case so they can make sure that the court strategy is based on solid facts. This is something that Boehner has refused to do under any circumstance.

Via The Advocate