White House: No ‘second guess’ for jailed Ky. clerk

The White House on Thursday weighed in on a Kentucky county clerk who has denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying it would not “second guess” a judge’s decision to jail her.

“On principle, the success of our democracy depends upon the rule of law,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

{mosads}Earnest added that no public official is above the law, whether the president or a county clerk.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis was taken into custody by federal marshals Thursday after a U.S. district judge held her in contempt for repeatedly refusing to grant marriages licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

Davis declined to grant the licenses due to her religious beliefs.

The episode, which gained national attention, has sparked a debate over whether government officials must enforce laws that conflict with their faith.

Earnest did not comment on the specifics of the legal case against Davis.