Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) has launched an investigation into President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.
The group says it is seeking records related to the formation and funding of the commission, appointment of its members and advisors, and its three public meetings in June and September, including meeting records, expenses, decisions related to invited speakers, and the use of the Museum of the Bible in the Nation’s Capital.
Federal law requires the commission to produce these records.
“Everything about the Religious Liberty Commission signals that its mission isn’t about protecting religious liberty for everyone; it’s about rejecting our nation’s religious diversity and prioritizing one narrow set of conservative Christian beliefs,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United.
She added: “We launched this investigation because the commission’s true purpose and operations can’t be squared with America’s constitutional promise of church-state separation.”
Trump formed the Religious Liberty Commission on May 1 by an executive order, saying it allows the executive branch to vigorously “enforce the historic and robust protections” for religious liberty “enshrined in Federal law.”
During a commission meeting in September, Trump reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to religious freedom and announced plans to promote the role of religion in American society, as previously reported by Premier Christian News.
Groups like the AU, however, have expressed frustrations with the administration and characterized their actions as dismissive and showing little regard for other faiths outside of Christianity, prompting them to launch an investigation.
Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, it educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.