The Kleins filed an appeal of the state ruling in July but also have defied a Bureau of Labor and Industries order to pay $135,000 to Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, claiming financial hardship despite crowdfunding efforts that have raised more than $500,000 on their behalf.

Most recently, one of their lawyers wrote to the labor bureau to say: “Our clients do not have a bond or irrevocable letter of credit in place and have no further plans to obtain either one.”

The Kleins’ refusal to pay marks another chapter in the long-running controversy pitting their claims of religious freedom against enforcement of anti-discrimination laws requiring Oregon businesses to serve the public equally.

Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian issued a final order July 2 directing the Kleins to pay damages for emotional and mental suffering, saying they had violated the women’s civil rights by discriminating on the basis of their sexual orientation.