Judicial Candidate who Claimed Gays ‘Face Eternal Damnation’ Suspended
A Trump-supporting Florida judicial candidate has had his law license suspended after saying that gay people will “face eternal damnation.”
Attorney Donald McBath has been suspended from the Florida Bar for violating the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct while running to become a state circuit court judge.
In a filing with the Florida Supreme Court, the Florida Bar asserted that McBath had “failed to maintain the dignity appropriate to judicial office and act in a manner that is consistent with impartiality, integrity, and independence of the judiciary” due to anti-Muslim and anti-gay messages posted to social media.
Trump-supporting attorney claimed God can ‘heal’ gay people
One message posted to Twitter states: “If the homosexual continues committing that sin of sodomy, his soul faces ETERNAL damnation. Abstain, if you really have that mental illness. It’s not love.”
Another added: “A person with homosexual tendencies that abstains from committing the sin of sodomy, is a man that is trying to live and cope with their mental illness. A person could be healed with the right help from professionals and with the Grace of God.”
McBath – who described himself in his Twitter profile as a “100% Trump supporter #MAGA; #KAG; proud DEPLORABLE; Pro-God; Christian” – sent other messages referring to Muslims as “deranged” and claiming: “Never trust a Muslim.”
According to the Miami Herald, the state Supreme Court leveraged a 91-day suspension and a $1,386 fine against McBath after he declined to contest the state bar’s claims.
The suspension of his law license will run concurrently with a preexisting, unrelated suspension for incompetence, the newspaper reports.
‘Pro-God Christian’ lawyer worked as a divorce attorney
In a statement in 2018, McBath said: “I have very strong personal beliefs about what is right and wrong.
“As a Christian, I love homosexuals. I just don’t like the sinful act of sodomy. In my personal opinion, the Bible is clear as to the sin. It is unnatural.
“It doesn’t mean that two males or two females can’t be best friends. Our Lord Jesus Christ talks about the fact we should love the sinner but hate the sin.”
Despite his apparently devout Christian beliefs, McBath has worked as a divorce attorney.