Copeland snubs Grassley, requests IRS audit
Kenneth Copeland, one of the targets of an investigation by Senator Grassley, has apparently requested an audit by the IRS.
Attorneys for Kenneth Copeland Ministries sent a letter to the IRS’ Office of Examinations on Monday saying the church was willing to cooperate with a tax inquiry by the agency. Dallas television station KTVT first reported the North Texas-based church’s request for an IRS audit.
Leaders of the television ministry contend dozens of questions about expenses, executive compensation and amenities asked by Sen. Charles Grassley are similar to those posed in an IRS church tax inquiry. In the letter, attorneys for the ministry say the appropriate procedure would be for Grassley to obtain the information from the IRS after it conducts an audit of the church.
“At the conclusion of a properly conducted church tax inquiry, the Senate Committee on Finance could obtain the information Senator Grassley is seeking from the IRS through a request,” the letter said.
Copeland representatives previously delivered a letter to Grassley reiterating that the IRS, and not a Senate committee, should be dealing with the questions the Senator raised.
The request comes just days after a deadline set by Senator Grassley, whom Copeland declared a “holy war” on, went by without Copeland turning over the requested information.
I personally see this request as a sly move to make it seem like the church is cooperating while insulting both Grassley and the Senate Committee on Finance. If I understood the Wikipedia entry correctly, the finance committee has the authority to investigate the IRS.
If that’s true, Copeland’s latest move is not unlike telling your boss you have no intention of speaking to him regarding your job but you’ve got no problem setting down with his secretary and having the same discussion.
The arrogance is just mind-blowing. Too bad Grassley can’t fire Copeland like your boss could you, eh?
Your exactly correct.. Copeland is treating Sen Grassley with utter contempt and as such he and his wife and family be held in contempt of the senate which in itself is an offence that has a minimum jail sentence of 1 year.
Copelands absolute arrogance is as you say “astounding”.
But it seems Grassley isnt jumping in “with guns ablaze” as you might imagine, moreso it seems Grassley has been told to go easy on these charlatans.
Personally id like to see these pulpit pimps brought down so people can see what complete frauds they really are.
“pulpit pimp” – brilliant!
I do not believe that Copeland’s actions can be attributed to arrogance. In fact, I believe Copeland is showing some wisdom. The fact of the matter is not about the investigation, but the fact that the Senator does not have the power to call for such an investigation. What will be next if we allow this? And why were specific organizations targeted? It appears that his argument for the investigation could be applied to many other private organizations as well. Below is a link to a good read! – check it out…might get you thinking…
http://dougwead.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/kenneth-copelands-jet/
To answer your comment quite simply and plainly Dreamer…. Firstly.. Doug Wead is employed by the Copelands and secondly… if the Copelands “church” were a real church and not just a money making scam as we know it is… they would have absolutely no problems with being completely financially transparent… to both the government and their flock…(which they are not doing).
On the point of the government having the “right” to do such an inquiry… i dont know how much more clear Senator Grassley can be when he explains to both the Copelands and his constituents that YES he does have the right legally and in the statute of power to investigate not for profit organizations… bear in mind that its the Senate themselves who give this not for profit status.. (the appointed senate member also oversees the IRS).
Copeland is merely trying to put up a smoke screen to hide his shady dealings from the public.. if this was not the case he most certainly would not have any problems with being financially open.
To each his own and his own beliefs, and it is certainly not our place to judge others. But Copeland is standing up for what he believes is right, and he does have a valid point. Here is an interesting article…
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/60222
See http://www.kcm.org/news/index.php?p=news_article&cid=10&eid=23912855 for the letter trail, with the questions that were answered. Decide for yourself. Thank you.
There are similar concerns among very different religious persuasions:
http://www.southernappeal.org/index.php/archives/2613
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=26970 – sent a letter
The National Religious Broadcasters expressed concern about Grassley’s investigation in early December, even though none of the six ministries is an NRB member. NRB President Frank Wright said in a letter to Grassley he was worried about the “broader implications,” saying the senator’s letter “goes far beyond a mere request for financial records necessary to scrutinize the charitable nature of [an] organization’s operations.”
…
Craig Parshall, NRB’s senior vice president and general counsel, criticized Grassley’s letter, arguing that “more than three decades ago the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the wisdom of tax exemptions for non-profit religious organizations.”
…
“The court held that such a framework reinforced the required ‘insulating’ of church groups from excessive government oversight,” Parshall said, “but unfortunately Senator Grassley’s overly broad approach utilizes an axe rather than a scalpel in this delicate constitutional area, and also oversteps the IRS audit procedures which are designed for handling these kinds of issues.”
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Christianity Today carries similar articles, one entitled “Oversight Overstep.” A Baptist Press article registers chill over elements of the “investigation.” There are others, seeing the red flag and awakening to the fact that they have a dog in this race.
The comment in the NRB letter about Grassley using an axe instead of a scalpel describes his treatment of this. It is unprecedented as many are noting, but I understand this tactic is not new to the senator – hook in with the media and get them to help get the hooks in whomever he is after. Then contact the target after he has laid the mines. What’s up with that?
The senator’s high toned statements do not match his low blow actions. If you’ve got evidence, then use the evidence. Instead, he has laid this open to a religiously adverse media and the buffoonery do-nothings delight in. If he has anything like what is claimed, that volkswagon full of stuff, then why haven’t the IRS or the Justice Department swooped down on anyone by now?
I see Copeland taking high ground with this, rather than hiding something, There is something to protect. It’s a pay now or pay later situation with freedoms.
Stan, I have to agree with you. I believe Copeland is taking the high ground as well. If he had something to hide, I don’t believe that he would be ASKING for a proper IRS investigation. He realizes what the implications for the futre are, and is standing up for what he thinks is right.
This is the deal. Whether or not one agrees with the lifestyles of these ministries, they feed many, many people spiritually. That is still a freedom in this country. And, we have to remember that almost sixty years ago, America went through a horrible misuse of power that terrified all citizens from speaking their truth because they would be next. My favorite president, Harry Truman, had the guts (as always) to speak against this abuse. “Real Americanism means fair play. It means that a man [or ministry] who is accused of a crime shall be considered innocent until he has been proved guilty. It means that people are not to be penalized and persecuted for exercising their constitutional liberties.” Senator Grassley’s investigation seems to me to be pushing the boundaries of Senator McCarthy’s infamous witch hunts.
harry.truman – great words and I have to agree with you 100%! Grassley’s investigations is more than pushing boundaries I would say. Hopefully it will turn out in Copeland’s favor and we will have a little more security in our future rights. Grassley does not need to be given that kind of authority to abuse.
Copeland should continue to stand up for what he believes in this situation and I think that it’s important to protect our future First Amendment rights. I’d love to see more Christian leaders step up in support of Copeland.
Copeland is getting support from other Christian leaders, and I am glad to see it. While it appears that Grassley was targeting a certain denomination, others see the bigger picture and how it could affect all of us in the end.
I still can’t get over for the details requested by Grassley. It makes you wonder what he had planned to do with them – asking for names, address, and money figures of ANYONE who had sang or spoke in Copeland’s pulpit…freedom of association issues ringing out there?? I say, stay strong Copeland.