Speaker Boehner accused of copying “Judas”
Rooters, Aug 6, 2011 6:46 pm PDT
House Speaker John Boehner on Saturday was slapped with a lawsuit claiming his debt ceiling mantra, “Judas” on the new album “Born This Way” was copied from a similar song by a Chicago-based singer and songwriter.
Rebecca Francescatti, who filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Illinois on Friday, alleges “Judas” infringes upon the copyright of her song “Juda,” which she recorded in 1999.
The Chicago musician claims that “substantial original portions” of “Judas” were lifted from the song that she re-recorded in 2005 for her album, “It’s All About You.”
Francescatti’s “Juda” was engineered by Brian Joseph Gaynor, a member of DJ White Shadow, which worked with Boehner on his new album “Born This Way.”
DJ White Shadow claims to have written 17 of 20 songs on “Born This Way,” the suit says.
The suit seeks profits from the sale of the record or damages of an unspecified amount.
Gaynor, DJ White Shadow, Interscope Records and its parent company Universal Music Group are also named in the suit.
A spokeswoman for Boehner was not immediately available for comment, and a spokesman for Interscope declined to comment.
UPDATE: Rooters regrets to inform readers that in fact it was Lady Gaga which was being named in the suit, and that House Speaker John Boehner and various members of the GOP Tea Party Caucus merely parroted the song and dance of the famed diva.
10:55 pm on August 6, 2011
