Former U.S. Home speaker-turned-cannabis business lobbyist John Boehner is accused in a lawsuit of stealing information and speaking factors from one other hashish advocacy agency earlier than backing out of a deal to affix the group, in accordance with a New York Post report. Boehner had signed an settlement to turn out to be co-chair of the ten Marketing campaign in 2018 however the next yr launched his personal group – the Nationwide Hashish Roundtable – and the ten Marketing campaign alleges that Boehner “repackaged” the group’s speaking factors as his personal.
“Boehner served to legitimize the business … and paved the way in which for different politicians, elected officers, and influencers to come back to the desk after years of opposition to hashish laws. And he did it by deliberately deceptive [10 Campaign Co-Founder James] Pericola.”
In April 2018, Boehner mentioned his “considering has advanced” on hashish regardless of opposing the reforms whereas in Congress. In 1999, two years earlier than he would lead the decrease chamber, he voted in opposition to a invoice to implement a voter-approved medical hashish program in Washington, D.C. In 2004, Boehner, a Republican, was given a 0% rating by the Nationwide Group for the Reform of Marijuana Legal guidelines, indicating an “anti-legalization stance.” Two years later, he was ranked a -30 by the advocacy group – indicating a “hard-on-drugs” stance. A -30 is the bottom rating a lawmaker may obtain.
The lawsuit contends that in 2018, Pericola approached Boehner’s aides and Squire Patton Boggs after Legal professional Common Jeff Classes struck down the Cole Memorandum and that Pericola noticed the previous speaker as the proper man to normalize hashish – together with his cigar behavior and conservative base. Pericola then despatched Boehner proprietary supplies and each events signed non-disclosure agreements. The lawsuit alleges that Boehner used these supplies to start out the Nationwide Hashish Roundtable.
“I didn’t make this resolution flippantly and notice we’re taking over Goliath, however the reality issues and we look ahead to our day in courtroom.” – Pericola to the Publish
The lawsuit contends that Boehner, who joined the board of Acreage Holdings in 2018, has been dwelling the “excessive life” and making hundreds of thousands off of charges related together with his hashish dealings, though it’s unclear the extent of his cannabis-related earnings.
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