You see, if it turns out that the Benghazi hearings are without merit, the only consequence for the GOP is a possible political backlash. But in federal court, if you pursue an “objectively baseless” claim, you can be sanctioned by the court (PDF) under Rule 11.

These sanctions range from getting hit with monetary fines to being ordered to reimburse the other parties in the lawsuit for their legal fees. And those sanctions can be assessed against each lawyer individually who signed the pleadings, their law firm, and the actual parties to the litigation. (I’d love to see the House GOP pass the hat around to pay their sanctions.)…

If Boehner does file his ill-advised lawsuit, it’s my hope that Obama’s legal team swiftly files a motion for Rule 11 sanctions against Boehner and his legal team. Of course, the reality is that if Boehner or the House are sanctioned for bringing a meritless claim, it will be paid for by our tax dollars. The upside though is that it will likely deter future politically motivated lawsuits by Boehner and the House GOP—at least until Hillary Clinton is president.