Judge Cronan Dismisses Lawsuit Over Trump's Religious Liberty Commission

Federal Judge John P. Cronan dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Interfaith Alliance and a multifaith coalition of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh groups challenging the composition of President Donald Trump's Religious Liberty Commission. The plaintiffs alleged the commission violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act by lacking a legally required balance of viewpoints, arguing the body was overwhelmingly composed of conservative Christians and Christian nationalists.

Judge Cronan ruled that while federal law requires a balance of viewpoints, it does not specify the method for achieving that balance, granting the president wide discretion in appointments. He described the commission as fairly balanced, noting it includes a mix of clergy and lay people, various Christian denominations, one Orthodox Jewish rabbi, and adherents of at least five different religions.

Following the dismissal, Paul Brandeis Raushenbush of the Interfaith Alliance stated the ruling ignored the commission's privileging of a narrow ideological view. Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State argued the commission possesses a fatal Christian Nationalist bias. Despite the legal loss, the plaintiffs noted the litigation forced the commission to increase transparency by releasing transcripts, minutes, and making a June draft report—which questioned the traditional separation of church and state—available for public comment.