Former House Speaker John Boehner has been accused of stealing data from marijuana lobbyists

Of Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

John Boehner, former Speaker of the House from 2011 to 2015, pulled out of a deal to join a marijuana lobbying group after allegedly stealing data and talking points to form another, an explosive lawsuit alleges, reports the New York Post.

Boehner signed an agreement in March 2018 to become co-chair of a marijuana legalization group called The 10th after the 10th amendment to the US Constitution. However, in 2019, Boehner announced that he was forming a new group called the National Cannabis Roundtable.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Staff/Getty Images

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Law firm Squire Patton Boggs, of which Boehner is a partner, was a strategic advisor on the project, according to the lawsuit filed by 10 Campaign founder James Pericola in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia against both Boehner and the company submitted.

Pericola claims that Boehner’s group, which went on to become a lucrative venture, slashed his profits even though it was just a “repackaged version” of his own.
Pericola sent the company copyrighted materials after the parties signed nondisclosure agreements, the lawsuit says.

In early April 2018, the group had put together promotional materials to launch the 10th campaign with Boehner as co-chair, according to the lawsuit.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.