Americans United for Separation of Church and State today requested records from the U.S. Department of Justice and the General Services Administration as part of an investigation into President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, formed by executive order on May 1.
AU 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, and decisions relating to invited speakers and use of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. 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. That was evident during the commission’s public meetings, which have been dominated by a very specific brand of Christian faith, Christian prayers, and predominantly Christian speakers – many of them affiliated with Christian Nationalist organizations,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “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.”
The requests for information were made under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which together ensure transparency and timely access to records produced by federal advisory committees established by and for the president.
Americans United is a religious freedom advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, AU educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
Liz Hayes
Associate Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
