Boehner: DOMA Defense Contract Doesn’t Violate Any Laws

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told the Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson that he doesn’t think that a contract executed to hire former Solicitor General Paul Clement to defend the Defense of Marriage Act violates any House rules. “This hiring was approved by the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group,” Boehner said. “I’m confident that it complies with all of the rules of the House.” As Johnson explains, “Many lawmakers have questioned the source of the funds for hiring Clement because they weren’t appropriated before his contract was executed and the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group has no budget to allocate funds for this purpose.” They claim the contract may violate “the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits ‘involving the government in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose.’” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has also raised concerns about the contract, but has yet to “yet to receive a response from the letters she sent on April 18 or April 20.”