The state of Florida paid George Rekers — the anti-gay leader recently caught with a male escort — $120,000 to testify against allowing gay couples to adopt children, testimony that was deemed not credible by the judge.
Rekers was paid a $60,900 retainer. He also received a $59,793 payment for hourly billing, according to document provided to TPMmuckraker by the Department of Children and Families. That comes out to 402 hours at about $150 per hour. The payments were made by the office of the Florida attorney general, Bill McCollum, which was defending the DCF’s policy.
Rekers, a co-founder of the Family Research Council and a board member of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, testified in 2008 that gay people have a higher incidence of depression, substance abuse and break-ups. Therefore, he said, they’re incapable of providing a safe and stable home to adopted children.
Rekers, who admitted to employing the escort but who denies any sexual contact, has adopted a child.
The escort says Rekers paid for one-hour erotic massages.
Rekers also testified on behalf of the state of Arkansas. A two-year legal battle ensued when Rekers billed the state for $165,00, more than the state wanted to pay. In the end, Rekers received a $60,000 settlement, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
In both Florida and Arkansas, the judges dismissed Rekers’ testimony as too ideological to be credible.
