Senator Punts Televangelist Inquiry for “Self-Reform Within the Community”
Late yesterday Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee who three years ago launched an investigation into the finances of six leading televangelists, released staff reports detailing the results of its probe into the ministries. While the probe was initially launched to examine whether the ministries had abused their tax-exempt status by using tax-exempt funds for personal enrichment, Grassley is not recommending any changes to the tax law to prevent such abuse, but rather a review by the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, which was formed in the 1970s.
According to a statement from Grassley's spokesperson, the EFCA will be forming a Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations to review Grassley's staff reports. (The reports, released late yesterday, are lengthy and I haven't had a chance to read them in detail, but...