He was a PAID Key Witness in Defense of FL Gay Adoption Ban & Rekers Adopted a Child

[mod mom]

Rekers Was Key Witness For McCollum In Defense Of FL Gay Adoption Ban
Rachel Slajda | May 8, 2010, 10:45AM


Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Republican candidate for governor, paid George Rekers at least $60,900 to be an expert witness in 2008 while defending Florida's ban against gay couple adopting children. When a judge called Rekers' testimony neither "credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy," McCollum explicitly defended him in following briefs.

Rekers is currently embroiled in a scandal for hiring a male escort to accompany him on a trip to Europe. But he's also a leader in the ex-gay movement. He co-founded the Family Research Council and sits on the board of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. He has, by all accounts, dedicated his life to protecting children from the "harmful" influence of gay people.

In his testimony for the state of Florida, Rekers testified that homosexual people have a higher incidence of depression, substance abuse and break-ups than heterosexual people. This, he testified, made homosexual partners incapable of "providing a safe and secure and emotionally stable environment for the child."

Rekers also testified that he once adopted a child.

-snip

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/rekers_was_key_witness_for_mccollum_in_defense_of.php?ref=fpb

If hypocrisy wasn't enough, Rekers was paid a $60,900 retainer by the state

edited to point out he profited from his testimony. :mad:

[Stuart G]

1. Well...He says he is not gay??? could he be a liar instead?

[mod mom]

2. Seems the FL state agency that hired Rekers doesn't have a problem with his testimony:

UPDATE, MAY 7, 12:40 p.m. … Bill McCollum’s office sent along a lengthier response (which still doesn’t address the fact of whether the attorney general is concerned that one of his key witnesses for denying parental rights may now be credited). But it follows.

“As hired counsel for the Florida Department of Children and Families, our office is committed to providing our client with the best possible legal representation in this matter.

Dr. Rekers, a professor emeritus from University of South Carolina and a neuropsychologist with a degree from UCLA, came to our attention by recommendation from another academic after an exhaustive search for potential expert witnesses who were willing to testify. Dr. Rekers had exceptional credentials and he had provided testimony in similar cases on two separate occasions, one of which was a Florida case in Federal Court.

The contract was executed at the direction of the Department of Children and Families, and the ACLU did not object to his position as an expert at the hearing. He has completed his testimony and is no longer involved in this case.”

ALSO, Equality Florida says that public records show the state actually paid Rekers $120,000 and has records here.

AND one more (05/7/10): DCF followed up to say the $120k total was correct … that the earlier one was a preliminary estimate.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_namesblog/2010/05/anti-gay-crusaders-hirestravels-with-gay-prostitute.html

[bobbolink]

4. And some people wonder why there are many of us who don't trust therapists.

neuropsychologist with a degree from UCLA

[mod mom]

3. This should be bigger news since McCollum (paid $120,000 to Rekers) is ahead in FL Gov Race:

In fact, we’ve found the state of Florida paid Rekers about $120,000 to testify as an expert in the legal battle to uphold the ban on gay adoptions in Florida. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum now seems to be trying to distance himself from the star witness his office paid to defend Florida’s anti-gay adoption ban.

CNN contacted McCollum's office about Rekers, and got this response:

McCollum’s office told us Rekers came to their attention "by recommendation from another academic after an exhaustive search" and that Rekers "had exceptional credentials and he had provided testimony in similar cases on two separate occasions.

-snip

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/7/864566/-Did-CNN-pull-rent-boy-story-involving-Florida-AG-McCollum

Dems should attempt to take advantage of this because you KNOW if the tables were turned the pukes would!