(DCNF)—The Department of Justice (DOJ) has stepped up its defense of religious liberty under the Trump administration.
In the past several months, the DOJ has filed statements of interest in land use cases for churches, helped launch a task force to “eliminate” anti-Christian bias and opened an investigation into an “anti-Catholic” law in Washington.
The DOJ opened an investigation Monday into a Washington law that forces Catholic priests to disclose information received in the confessional related to child abuse or neglect. The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson on Friday, explicitly excludes “members of the clergy” from an exemption for reporting information obtained as a result of “a privileged communication.”
Bishop Thomas Daly of the Spokane Diocese said priests would remain “committed to keeping the seal of confession – even to the point of going to jail” after the law was signed.
“Washington’s new law forces priests to choose between violating their faith or breaking the law,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote Monday on X. “That’s unconstitutional.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi hosted cabinet members in April for a meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias established through an executive order.
The DOJ also indicted a man in March for allegedly setting fire to a Mormon church.
Andrea Picciotti Bayer, director of the Conscience Project and former DOJ civil rights attorney, told the Daily Caller News Foundation these steps are “exactly what Americans should expect from the federal government.”
“For far too long the DOJ’s Civil Right’s Division ignored religious freedom and, at times, even was hostile to people of faith and churches,” she said. “These key efforts show that this pattern and practice is ending.”
Washington’s new law forces priests to choose between violating their faith or breaking the law. That’s unconstitutional. The @CivilRights Division has opened an investigation into SB 5375’s apparent attack on the First Amendment and religious liberty. We will not look away. https://t.co/t7Xt6Prpqo
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) May 5, 2025
Dhillon told the DCNF in an interview in April that there is “open hostility to religion in many sectors of our society.”
“We have federal statutes that protect religion, not just the First Amendment, but there’s the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act [RLUIPA],” she said. “We’ve brought several cases in the DOJ Civil Rights Division to protect houses of worship, Christian and others.”
RLUIPA protects religious assemblies and institutions from discrimination in zoning and land use regulations.
In April, the civil rights division filed statements of interest in RLUIPA cases brought by an Islamic organization in New York, as well as Christian churches in North Carolina and New Hampshire. It also filed statements in March backing Christian churches in Santa Ana, California and Pennsylvania.
The DOJ first launched its Place to Worship Initiative to increase awareness of RLUIPA in 2018.
Biden’s DOJ used the law to support faith-based services to the homeless, suing in December over a Georgia city’s effort to close a homeless shelter affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Former Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke wrote a letter informing state, county and municipal officials of their obligations under RLUIPA in May 2024, noting the law applies to “religious social service facilities such as group homes, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.”
“Our work in this area suggests that litigation is far less likely if local officials are aware of RLUIPA and consider its protections early in the process of reviewing land use applications from religious organizations,” she wrote.
In 11 years, First Liberty senior counsel Jeremy Dys told the DCNF he’s had around four statements of interest filed in religious land use cases by the DOJ — two have come in the past few months. The Trump DOJ is much quicker to “launch in defense of religious liberty” than the prior administration, he said.
“It’s one thing for Congress to pass a law like RLUIPA,” Dys told the DCNF. “It’s an entirely different thing for an administration like this to say, we take that seriously and want to see it enforced at the local level. And if the Department of Justice won’t do that, what we’re going to see is cities and counties and other municipalities running roughshod over the civil rights of America’s religious entities. So I’m very encouraged that the Department of Justice has made this issue, enforcing especially religious land use protections, a priority of the administration itself.”
Under the Biden administration, the DOJ also prosecuted pro-life activists while failing to prosecute many attacks on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers. Dhillon promised during an interview with the DCNF that pattern was “going to change.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, hundreds of churches and pregnancy centers were vandalized, broken into, firebombed or otherwise damaged, according to Catholic Vote. Between 1994 to 2024, just six cases were brought under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against abortion activists, though 205 were brought against pro-life activists, the Daily Caller reported.
“The FACE Act can be used to protect clinics where women get counseling about their options for abortion, and 200 of those have been violently attacked, firebombed, picketed and otherwise been obstructed over the last few years with zero action from the DOJ,” Dhillon previously told the DCNF.
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.