Florida Attorney Who Calls Same-Sex Marriage ‘An Abomination’ Could Be Named Family Court Judge by Gov. Rick Scott

Lathika Mary Thomas Has Worked for Gov. Scott, Who Has Strongly Supported Her Political Career

A Florida attorney who unsuccessfully ran for Congress two years ago could be appointed as a family court judge by Gov. Rick Scott. Lathika Mary Thomas, a staunch conservative Republican, has called same-sex marriage “an abomination.” She also has strong ties to Florida’s GOP governor.

In 2015 Thomas called Supreme Court decisions supporting the Affordable Care Act and right of same-sex couples to marry “an abomination,” saying they “tear at the very fabric of American society. We must repeal Obamacare and defend the constitution. Nothing less will suffice,” a Florida newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat, reported.

(Defending the Constitution means supporting the right of same-sex couples to marry, as the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell.)

Thomas began working in Gov. Scott’s administration in 2010. She is now “the director of policy for a U.S. Department of Justice office that provides community grants. Thomas’ legal expertise includes land use, administrative, environmental and insurance defense law,” The Times notes.

“If Gov. Rick Scott selects Thomas, she will oversee cases like divorces, child support issues, and adoptions,” The Tampa Bay Times reports. “That raises the question: If gay couples or parents appear in her courtroom, could Thomas be objective?”

The Times asked Scott, who declined to comment.

But Scott did not only work in Gov. Scott’s administration, she “provided legal advice directly to the governor.” And her ties to Scott don’t end there.

In a 2016 closed-door event held by the ultra-conservative Club for Growth, Gov. Scott sang Thomas’ praises.

“Mary came aboard with me right after I got elected back in 2010 and worked in my general counsel office, and to give her bragging rights, everything she touched, it worked,” Scott said, according to Politico. “So thank you for helping her, and hopefully she has a big win.”

In her run for Congress, Thomas strongly aligned herself with Donald Trump. Her campaign ads were distressing. Calling herself a “devout Christian” and a “constitutional conservative,” she attacked the right of transgender students to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity, calling it “outrageous and unconscionable.”

That alone should disqualify her from being a family court judge.

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