A Colorado lawmaker asked the Justice Department to investigate his state’s civil rights commission for religious bias after it lodged yet another complaint this summer against Christian baker Jack Phillips.
Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican, said the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and director Aubrey Elenis are engaged in “harassment” of Mr. Phillips, who refused to bake cakes for same-sex weddings and also refused to make birthday cakes for Satan.
“No one should be bullied or banished from the marketplace simply because their beliefs don’t line up with the government-favored viewpoint,” Mr. Lamborn said in a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions last month.
The commission first cited Mr. Phillips several years ago for declining to bake a same-sex wedding cake. He says same-sex marriage violates his beliefs, and as a cake “artist” his First Amendment rights are being trampled if the government forces him to make such a cake.
He fought his case to the Supreme Court, which sent it back to Colorado with a warning that the state showed anti-religious bias, and must re-decide without that animosity.
The commission has yet to decide on that case, but over the summer it did bring a new complaint against him for refusing to bake a cake for someone who claimed to be going through a gender transition.
The Justice Department said it wouldn’t comment on whether an investigation is in the works.
A spokesperson from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission said it couldn’t comment on pending or active litigation.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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