Santorum praises ‘heroic’ Kentucky clerk

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) says he stands with Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk jailed for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Santorum said law enforcement officials should respect Rowan County clerk Kim Davis’s religious faith rather than punishing it.

{mosads}“What Kim Davis did, in my opinion, was heroic,” he told host Chris Cuomo on CNN’s “New Day” that morning.

“I commend her for standing up for her principles,” the 2016 GOP presidential candidate added. “Putting her in jail is ridiculous. It is an extreme position.”

U.S. Marshalls took Davis into custody on Thursday afternoon for being in contempt of court after she repeatedly refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses, citing her religious beliefs.

On Friday, deputy clerks in her office began issuing same-sex marriage certificates.

Davis opposes the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges earlier this summer, which recognized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Santorum argued on Friday that the landmark legal decision violates her religious liberty and First Amendment rights.

“We have a situation in which the Supreme Court acted unconstitutionally,” he said. “Why are we putting someone in jail because they have a religious exception?”

Couple William Smith and James Yates were officially wed, and two more couples were planning on getting their own certificates later Friday, according to reports.

Deputy Clerk Brian Mason and four other clerks in Rowan County’s office have pledged they would issue same-sex marriage certificates to avoid jail time. The lone holdout in the office is Davis’s son.

Davis, for her part, has repeatedly vowed to not back down, citing her Christian beliefs.