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A federal judge rejected claims that President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission improperly left out certain faiths, dismissing a challenge Monday that sought to declare it illegal.
An interfaith coalition argued the commission excluded non-Judeo-Christian religions in violation of legal requirements that it be “fairly balanced.”
“Its members include workers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, have widely varying life experiences—from a former host of a popular television show to a State Lieutenant Governor, are religious leaders as well as rank-and-file congregants, and—to the extent that it matters— encompass adherents of at least five different religions,” U.S. District Judge John Cronan wrote in his 49-page opinion.
Cronan, an appointee of Trump, serves on the federal bench in New York City.
Trump formed the commission last year as he raised concerns about discrimination against Christians. He tasked the group with creating a report on the foundations of religious liberty in the U.S and its threats. A draft, released last month, calls for “building bridges between church and state.”
The lawsuit, filed by progressive Muslim and Hindu groups, among others, raised concerns that the commission was excluding various viewpoints.
The group is chaired by former Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and vice-chaired by Ben Carson, who was Trump’s Housing and Urban Development secretary in his first term. It also includes the Rev. Franklin Graham — son of Billy Graham, who served as a faith leader for previous presidents — and New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Federal law includes a balancing requirement for certain groups created by the president. But the judge noted that it doesn’t have to be “perfect.”
“Given the wide diversity of Christian and Jewish beliefs, there is no reason to think that an Evangelical member would ‘balance out’ a Catholic member any less than a Buddhist member would,” the judge wrote.
“And if an unavoidable reality of a fourteen-member commission is that some groups will be left out, Plaintiffs do not justify why leaving out non-’Judeo Christian’ religions is any more imbalanced than leaving out religions within that group,” he continued.
The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
The judge also ruled that an ordained minister, who runs an interfaith group and sued alongside the groups, had no legal standing to press his claims. They are represented by Democracy Forward, one of the most prolific backers of lawsuits against Trump administration policies.
In a statement, the coalition pointed to the commission’s release earlier this year of transcripts and other meeting materials.
“Even before this decision, our litigation helped uncover the information the Trump-Vance administration attempted to hide from the public about this biased and unlawful body,” they said.
“Religious liberty and pluralism are foundational American values, and we remain committed to fighting for a democracy that does not promote a single religious belief and ignores others. We are grateful that this case achieved a major goal by forcing greater transparency, and we will continue our work,” the statement continued.
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