Amy Schumer, Susan Sarandon give cash to Kentucky clerk Kim Davis' would-be opponent

Andrew Wolfson | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis meets opponent David Ermold returned to the Rowan County courthouse Wednesday, nearly two years after Clerk Kim Davis refused to give him a marriage license because he was gay. This time he's seeking Davis' job. (Dec. 6)

LOUISVILLE — Two Hollywood celebrities have put their money behind a Democratic candidate for county clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, who was denied a marriage license by incumbent Kim Davis because he and his partner are gay.

Comedian and actress Amy Schumer has contributed $1,500 to David Ermold, who faces three challengers in Tuesday's Democratic primary, while actress Susan Sarandon has given him $800.

Other notable contributors to his campaign are Matthew Barzun, former president Barack Obama's ambassador to the United Kingdom and Sweden, and his wife, Brooke Barzun, who have given a combined $8,000. Matthew Barzun is a member of the board of directors for Gannett, which owns Courier Journal.

Davis, who switched to the Republican Party, has no primary opposition and is not on the ballot.

She was not in her office Monday and her lawyer, Matt Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and co-author of her book, Under God’s Authority: The Kim Davis Story, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Davis hasn't raised or spent any money for this year's race, while Ermold, an English assistant professor at the University of Pikeville, has raised $201,298 and spent $117,623.

Ermold announced in December he was challenging Davis, who in 2015 refused to issue licenses marriages to same-sex couples, citing God's authority. She eventually spent five days in jail for refusing to follow court orders. The couples included Ermhold and David Moore, whom he eventually wed.

Schumer starred in Trainwreck and Snatched, as well as Comedy Central sketch series Inside Amy Schumer.

Sarandon, a noted social and political activist, was nominated for the Academy Award for best actress for Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo's Oil and The Client before winning it in 1995 for Dead Man Walking.

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Follow Andrew Wolfson on Twitter: @adwolfson