Jeremy DurhamWhile many GOP leaders in the Tennessee Legislature have distanced themselves from state Rep. Jeremy Durham for writing a character reference letter on behalf of a former youth minister who pleaded guilty to child porn possession, a judge in the Franklin Republican's home county is praising what he calls the lawmaker's "moral courage."
The Tennessean reports that Circuit Judge Michael W. Binkley said in a Facebook post said Durham's letter took "guts," and criticized Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey as being "dumb as a rock" for saying that the letter had shown poor judgment.
Durham and Binkley did not respond to the newspaper's requests for comment. The Facebook post was deleted on Tuesday afternoon.
Binkley and his wife each gave Durham's campaign $1,400 in 2012.