Trump administration seeks Supreme Court's permission to argue on behalf of Christian baker in gay wedding cake case

President Donald Trump's administration has asked permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to argue in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who is awaiting hearing on a case over his refusal to bake a same-sex wedding cake.

"As a general matter, the United States has a substantial interest in the preservation of federal constitutional rights of free expression," the motion stated, as reported by Townhall.

"In addition, the United States has a particular interest in the scope of such rights in the context of the Colorado statute here, which shares certain features with federal public accommodations laws including Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," it continued.

Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Denver, was found guilty of violating Colorado's anti-discrimination law after he refused to make a same-sex wedding cake for Craig and David Mullins in 2012 due to his religious beliefs.

The Colorado baker had argued that the verdict violates the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment. He contended that he, as an artist, cannot be forced to make a cake in opposition to his views.

In September, the Department of Justice had filed an amicus brief in favor of Phillips, arguing that the First Amendment's Free Speech Clause protects him from Colorado's public accommodation law.

Oral arguments in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission have been set for Dec. 5. The government is asking for 10 minutes of argument time during the hearing.

Meanwhile, tech companies, Yelp, Apple, and PayPal, have reportedly expressed plans to sign an amicus brief to urge the U.S. Supreme court to rule against Phillips.

The Hill reported that the brief, which was coordinated by the Human Rights Campaign, was already signed by Paypal.

In a statement, Paypal said that it signed the document because it reflects the value of the company.

"PayPal is committed to preserving human rights and advancing the principles of inclusion and equality that are at the core of our values," the emailed statement read.

"We seek to defend against actions that violate our values, which is why we are signing this amicus brief with other likeminded companies seeking to uphold critical protections against discrimination," it continued.

The Human Rights Campaign had expected more tech companies to sign on to the brief, but it is unclear if others were able to sign the document before the deadline. The brief is reportedly due on Monday, and the deadline to sign on to it was last Wednesday.