PROVIDENCE — Perennial political candidate Christopher F. Young took the annual debate on gay marriage in an unexpected direction late Wednesday night when he accused state representatives of corruption and questioned their interest in Satan.

Young, who has previously run for U.S. Senate and Providence mayor, and has announced his intentions to challenge Sen. Jack Reed this fall, was one of the last people to testify in a House Judiciary Committee hearing that stretched past 11 p.m.

On the subject of same-sex marriage, Young said allowing such unions would “caus[e] the citizens of this state to suffer.”

But it was his comments on the legislators themselves that caused the biggest stir.

Young chided committee members for falling asleep, accused them of corruption, of not believing in God and said their need to repay favors drives their legislative decisions.

After Young quoted at length from the Bible, Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan, Jr., D-Coventry, warned him to be careful as such quotations are subject to misinterpretation.

Apparently thinking he’d heard Sullivan say something about Satan, Young asked “You say Satan a lot, don’t you? You like that term, don’t you?”

When his comments continued to question legislators’ motivations, committee Chairman Donald J. Lally, Jr., D-Narragansett, declared him way off topic and cut short his testimony after 30 minutes.

— Cynthia Needham

cneedham@projo.com