Anti-Gay Gubernatorial Candidate Sues Baker For $7 Million

BOSTON, MA — The controversial pastor who surprised many last month when he won enough delegate nominations to challenge Gov. Charlie Baker in the September GOP primary isn't letting up on his campaign against the nation's most popular governor.

Scott Lively, known for his anti-gay rhetoric, has filed a $7 million lawsuit against Baker and the Massachusetts GOP. MassLive first reported the lawsuit, filed May 31 in Worcester Superior Court.

The pastor accused the Massachusetts Republican Party of propping up Baker’s campaign ahead of the September 4 primary, breaking the party's own policy. Lively alleges the Mass GOP acted deceptively and that Baker defamed him. He filed May 31 in Worcester Superior Court,

Read more about Scott Lively here>> Hate Group Founder Joins Massachusetts Governor Race

“These endorsement and signature gathering activities by the State Committee on behalf of Baker had the effect of shutting out Lively from obtaining signatures from many venues, as the MassGOP was seen as already endorsing Baker,” the lawsuit says, according to MassLive.

Lively has positioned himself as the Trump candidate in the race, criticizing Baker for not meeting with the president when he was in town. Baker for his part has not weighed in on Lively's campaign other than a quick statement to reporters. See that here >>> Hate Group Founder Joins Massachusetts Governor Race.

Lively has claimed that gays controlled the Nazis. He also calls himself “100 percent pro-life,” “100 percent Second Amendment,” and “100 percent pro-Trump.”

Lively has been criticized for promoting dangerous hate speech when it comes to people who identify as LGBT. The Southern Povertly Law institute called his ant-LGBT group a hate group.

When a Springfield strip club was the site of an explosion that injured at least 18 people, and left several homeless, Lively said it was an answer to his prayers.

In 2009, Lively went to court after he promoted the idea that Uganda should crack down on its gay population for being rapists and pedophiles. Ugandan LGBT activists sued him for conspiring to deny gay people their human rights in Uganda. The suit was dismissed in 2017, but Massachusetts Federal Judge Michael Ponsor had sharp words for Lively's actions in his opinion.

"The question before the court is not whether Defendant's actions to ... demonize, intimidate, and injure LGBTI people in Uganda constitute violations of international law. They do," he wrote.

Read more about Scott Lively here>> Hate Group Founder Joins Massachusetts Governor Race

Here's the complaint, Lively v Baker:

File Photo: Jenna Fisher/Patch