We now know the cost of Rowan County (Kentucky) clerk Kim Davis denying gay couples their marriage licenses: nearly $225,000.

The clerk famously refused to do her job and issue marriage licenses to gay couples in 2015 even though marriage equality was the law of the land. Two couples eventually sued her and won, and U.S. District Judge David Bunning ruled on Friday that the state owed their attorneys $224,703 in legal fees.

“Davis represented the Commonwealth of Kentucky when she refused to issue marriage licenses to legally eligible couples. The buck stops there,” Bunning wrote. … “It is unfortunate that Kentucky taxpayers will likely bear the financial burden of the unlawful actions and litigation strategies of an elected official, but those same voters are free to take that information into account at the ballot box,” [legal director for the ACLU of Kentucky William] Sharp said.

Great. We’ll have to trust the people who elected Sen. Mitch McConnell to do the right thing come election time…

Davis and her lawyer Mat Staver say they’ll appeal the decision. Because why the hell not? They can keep fundraising the longer they’re fighting this, even if it’s a lost cause to those of us who aren’t in the bubble.

Hey, it’s not the first time this week that Kentucky taxpayers have been screwed out of money by fundamentalist Christians.

(via Religion Clause. Thanks to Scott for the link)

