Tony Perkins and National Day of Prayer President Subpoenaed by LGBT Activists: "Legal System Abused to Harass and Bully"
Crystal Woodall : May 31, 2018
CBN News
It all has to do with the Trump administration's transgender military ban.
(Washington, DC)—[CBN News] LGBT activists are subpoenaing two prominent faith leaders—Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and National Day of Prayer Task Force President Dr. Ronnie Floyd—in the lawsuit against the Trump administration's transgender military ban. (Photo: Tony Perkins, FRC president/via CBN News)
The case, Karnoski v. Trump, was filed last August against the administration in hopes of blocking it from implementing the policy.
According to the Liberty Counsel, which is representing Perkins and Floyd, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund is demanding the men provide "all communications and documents regarding all public policies regarding transgender people, including medical treatment and anything referring to "transgender" people in general."
"The subpoena seeks information from Floyd and Perkins which violates the First Amendment, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and civil procedure rules," the group charged.
It's a move Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel's founder and chairman, is calling a flagrant abuse of the legal system.
"LGBT activists are abusing the legal system to harass and bully," said Staver. "They began with nonprofit groups and now they are going after individual pastors and faith leaders."
"These abusive tactics are far outside their legal authority," he continued. "This subpoena is outrageous because it even requests 'conversations' on any topic related to LGBT issues. There is no legal basis for such a breathtakingly broad subpoena."
Perkins, meanwhile, is calling out the activists over what he views as a blatant act of intimidation against people of faith.
"Let me be clear," he wrote in a statement Wednesday. "The purpose of these subpoenas is not to resolve any constitutional questions. Their intent is clear—to intimidate FRC and our supporters from standing up for our military service members."
"They also know that it takes significant time and resources to respond to subpoenas, scarce time and resources that we should be focusing on advancing faith, family, and freedom," Perkins charged.
The FRC president is asking for supporters to stand with him in prayer over the matter.
"If standing up against injustice stirs your heart, we now need you to stand with FRC," he wrote. "We are stronger when we stand together."
Meanwhile, CBN News has reached out to Dr. Floyd for a comment but has not yet received a reply.