A conservative psychologist known for strong anti-gay stances who testified in defense of Florida’s gay adoption ban and has since become mired in scandal over his hiring of a gay escort was personally recommended as an expert witness for the state by Attorney General Bill McCollum, the online news organization Florida Tribune reported Tuesday.
The psychologist, George Rekers, was strongly recommended by the attorney general’s office to represent the Department of Children and Families and then-Secretary Bob Butterworth in 2007 for $300 an hour to defend the ban in the face of a lawsuit by Frank Gill, a gay foster parent seeking to adopt two boys.
In 2008, a Miami judge invalidated the ban and awarded Gill custody of the children.
Rekers was paid about $120,000 for his testimony.
Local media recently reported that Rekers hired a gay male escort to accompany him to Europe, though Rekers has said they didn’t engage in sex.
See Attorney General Bill McCollum’s Letter of Recommendation of George Rekers HERE
On Tuesday, the Florida Tribune and the Miami Herald both cited a 2007 letter from McCollum to Butterworth recommending Rekers.
“Our attorneys handling this case have searched long and hard for other expert witnesses with comparable expertise to Dr. Rekers and have been unable to identify any who would be available for this case,” McCollum wrote.
Earlier this week, McCollum, said in hindsight, it may have been a bad call.
“I wouldn’t do it again if I knew what I know today but I didn’t know that then and neither did anybody else,” McCollum said.
McCollum, is the presumptive GOP nominee in the race for Florida governor, and is seeking to replace Governor Charlie Crist.
Source: News Service of Florida
