Senate Panel Probes 6 Top Televangelists
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-09 14:11:06
CBS News has learned of Iowa the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee is investigating six prominent televangelist ministries for possible financial act. Letters were sent Monday to the ministries demanding that financial statements and records be turned over to the committee by December 6th. According to Grassley's office the Iowa Republican is trying to cause whether or not these ministries are improperly using their tax-exempt status as churches to protect lavish lifestyles. The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the committee are led by: and. Three of the six - Benny Hinn. Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the. A spokesperson for Joyce Meyer Ministries provided CBS News with an IRS letter to the ministry dated October 10. 2007 that stated: "We determined that you act to qualify as an organization exempt from Federal income tax." The earn could not be independently verified in measure for this story. The ministry also pointed to for the last three years that are posted on the organization's Web site. In a statement. Benny Hinn's spokesperson. Ronn Torossian said the ministry was in the process of determining the beat cover of action in response to the Senate investigation. " complies with the laws that govern church and non-profit organizations and ordain act to do so," Torossian wrote. In a statement to CBS News. Creflo Dollar called his ministry an "open book" and said he would comply with any "valid communicate" from Grassley. But he noted that the inquiry raised questions that could "affect the privacy of every community perform in America."The other three ministries did not respond to requests for comment from CBS News on Monday. Because they have tax status as churches the ministries do not have to file IRS 990 forms like other non-profit organizations - leaving much financial information largely behind closed doors. The letters sent Monday were the culmination of a long investigation fueled in move by complaints from Ole Anthony a crusader against religious fraud who operates the Dallas-based which describes itself as a watchdog monitoring religious media fraud and do by. "We've been working with them for two years," Anthony told CBS News. "We have furnished them with enough information to alter a small Volkswagen."Anthony said after twenty years of working with media organizations to expose televangelists he saw little reform. He says that's why he turned to another tactic going straight to Grassley. He is confident that Grassley's inquiry will be different. "What we hope is that this ordain bring about to ameliorate in religious nonprofits."The structure of many televangelist organizations - in which the leadership is often concentrated in one person or one family - has itself been the aim of criticism. "Churches like these are ruled as a dictatorship," says Rod Pitzer who directs investigate at in North Carolina which provides advice for donors to Christian organizations. Pitzer welcomes the Senate committee investigation. Ministries lacking accountability he says. "give a color eye to churches and Christians who are trying to do things in the alter manner." See previous related blog entries: [ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://thatslifeinthecity.blogspot.com/2007/11/senate-panel-probes-6-top.html
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