New York – A multifaith coalition bringing a challenge to the unlawful creation of the Trump-Vance administration’s so-called “Religious Liberty Commission” today pointed to new government disclosures in their lawsuit that reveal many of the documents the unlawful and secretive commission had been hiding from the public as proof of the power of litigation.
Earlier this year, Interfaith Alliance, Muslims For Progressive Values, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Hindus For Human Rights united to file a lawsuit challenging the unlawful creation of the so-called Religious Liberty Commission, highlighting violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the unbalanced and biased viewpoints assembled for the panel. The coalition is represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Democracy Forward in the matter.
In a late-night filing just before a court deadline, the government notified the court that it has finally publicly posted many of the Religious Liberty Commission’s transcripts, meeting minutes, witness testimonies, run of show, hearing summaries, and hearing recommendations. Those documents are available here.
While the case will continue to argue that the commission is illegally biased in favor of a single “Judeo-Christian” viewpoint favored by President Trump, the long overdue publication of these documents is a resounding concession by the government and a significant victory for the coalition that demonstrates the necessity of challenging the administration’s unlawful actions.
“We’re glad the commission is finally taking some of its legal duties seriously, but it shouldn’t take a federal lawsuit to force compliance with basic rules like showing your work,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “These files only confirm for all to see the fatal flaw at the core of this commission: its Christian Nationalist bias. Rather than advancing religious liberty, this commission is intent on imposing one ultra-conservative version of Christianity on all Americans.”
“Our lawsuit is holding the Trump administration accountable for its failure to uphold our country’s proud tradition of religious freedom – and bringing its discriminatory practices into the light of day,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “The government has no right to pick and choose which religious beliefs to promote, and which to marginalize. We won’t let them get away with secret witch-hunts hidden from the public eye – or with claiming to champion religious liberty while in truth they undermine it at every turn.”
“It is every American’s responsibility to challenge unlawful government actions – and through this lawsuit, we’ve forced transparency about its true agenda: discrimination disguised as ‘religious freedom,’” said Ani Zonneveld, founder and president, Muslims For Progressive Values.
“Our challenge ensures ‘religious liberty’ reflects all faiths—not a narrow few. These disclosures show why continued action is needed to prevent the exclusion of diverse communities,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“It should not take litigation to make a public commission public. The fact that this body had to be forced to disclose basic documents reveals exactly why the law requires transparency and balance. A commission shaped by Christian nationalist assumptions cannot credibly define religious liberty for a multifaith democracy,” said Ria Chakrabarty, senior policy director, Hindus for Human Rights.
The commission was established by Executive Order 14291 on May 1, 2025. Despite the guidelines set by law through FACA, the commission’s membership consists exclusively of Christians, except for one Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, all of whom collectively represent the narrow perspective that America was founded as a “Judeo-Christian” nation and must be guided by Biblical principles.
No members of the commission represent other minority religions, such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism, or non-religious Americans, and the commission’s meetings have expressly adopted and promoted purportedly Judeo-Christian ideals and viewpoints, with members routinely expressing their views during meetings that the United States is a Judeo-Christian or Christian nation.
The legal challenge brought by the multifaith coalition asks the court to declare that the commission was created and administered in violation of federal law, to ensure that any recommendations produced by this body are clearly identified as coming from an unlawfully constituted commission, and finally, to require the disclosure of documents that should already be public. The government’s last-minute filing before a midnight deadline earlier this week appears to include many of the withheld documents.
“It should not take a lawsuit for the government to comply with simple and basic transparency laws meant to ensure the public can participate in advisory and decision-making processes that affect their lives,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Democracy Forward is honored to work with this impressive multifaith coalition to defend the values of religious liberty and pluralism that have been central to the American identity since the nation’s founding. While we are pleased by this progress, we are not done. We will continue to use every legal tool available to protect the American people and the best of our nation’s values.”
The case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is Interfaith Alliance et al. v. Trump et al. The legal team on this case includes Jenny Samuels from Americans United and Anna Deffebach, Robin Thurston, and Ayesha Khan from Democracy Forward.
*Perryman also serves as a member of the Board of Interfaith Alliance.
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]
