GOP Paying Law Firm $500K to Back Gay Marriage Ban

House Republicans have agreed to pay a law firm $520 an hour, to a maximum of $500,000, to defend the Defense of Marriage Act now that President Obama has abandoned it. Former Bush Administration solicitor general Paul Clement will head up King and Spalding's defense of the law, which forbids federal recognition of gay marriage, in roughly a dozen pending lawsuits, Politico reports. Politico has the contract here.

The move drew a swift attack from Nancy Pelosi. “The hypocrisy of this legal boondoggle is mind-blowing. Speaker Boehner is spending half a million dollars of taxpayer money to defend discrimination,” a spokesman said. “If Republicans were really interested in cutting spending, this should be at the top of the list.” (More Defense of Marriage Act stories.)