Judge says Trump has wide discretion in commission picks
A federal judge in New York on Monday dismissed a lawsuit challenging the composition of President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, ruling that the president has broad discretion in appointing members.
The lawsuit, filed by the Interfaith Alliance along with Hindu, Muslim and Sikh groups, argued that the commission was imbalanced because it consisted almost entirely of conservative Christians, along with one Orthodox Jewish rabbi. The plaintiffs said several commissioners had publicly questioned the separation of church and state and expressed support for the idea of America as a Judeo-Christian country.
U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan in New York said a federal law requiring advisory commissions to have a balance of viewpoints does not specify how that balance must be achieved. He said the law gives Trump wide discretion in selecting members.
The ruling leaves the commission intact as it continues its work on religious liberty issues.