Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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THE last time I had had occasion to write about Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, above, was three years ago after she was ordered to pay damages totaling $100,000 to David Ermold and David Moore who were denied a marriage certificate in Kentucky by Davis in 2015 because of her deeply held religious beliefs. This ghastly woman’s actions, a court found, had humiliated the couple and caused them mental anguish and emotional distress.

She lost a number of appeals, all the way up to the Supreme Court, but in the process became the poster girl for millions of thick-as-tree-stumps Christians who held her up as a “persecuted” Christian.

David Ermold, left, at his wedding to David Moore in 2015. | Courtesy of David Ermold via Newsweek

So, did the couple get finally get their money? No!

Hence the latest Rowan Circuit Court lawsuit that determined that Davis now owes — wait for it —more than $560,000!

The court found that, in order to avoid paying the couple, plus legal fees, she lied about transferring inherited property worth about $400,000 to family members.

Acting for the couple, Attorney Michael J Gartland cited a fraudulent conveyance statute, which prohibits transferring property to avoid paying existing claims against one.

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In 2025, after the couple’s lawyer found out about the transfer, Davis was asked her to identify all transfers in the last five years that were worth more than $2,000 and she wrote under oath “none”. That turned out to be a false statement, Gartland told the court.

Gartland said he expects the property transfers to be reversed. A judgment lien has already been filed and Gartland said this will open the way to finally get the money owed to the couple.

This is a slam dunk as far as I’m concerned — these transfers will get undone.

Friendly Atheist Hermant Mehta concluded a long and amusing post with these words:

The funny thing is that Davis always had a simple option available to her: If she didn’t want to sign same-sex marriage licenses after Obergefell, she could have resigned. She would have still been a ‘martyr’ for conservative Christians everywhere! Instead, she insisted on staying in her job while breaking the law. She has since become a laughingstock for the nation—a symbol of Christian hubris, selfishness, and hate.

Note: My recently published memoir, available in ebook and paperback formats, are available here.