Word: grassley
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...Senate Finance Committee has been looking too. Last week Senator Charles Grassley, the Committee's ranking Republican, announced a probe of the finances of six television preachers. He sent each a letter filled with extremely pointed questions about their multimillion-dollar finances. The longest questionnaire, with 42 specific queries, went out to Copeland and his wife Gloria. Copeland is the founder and head of the multimillion-dollar Kenneth Copeland ministries, and the host in its crown jewel, the daily Believers Voice of Victory broadcast...
...Senate probe is one thing. But the Charisma ad has introduced a campaign wrinkle to it: Will Huckabee, who is riding a wave of momentum and currently polling second among Republicans in Iowa prior to its caucuses, stick by Copeland and risk putting himself on the wrong side of Grassley as he forges ahead with his investigation...
...Senator Grassley's letter requested Copeland and his wife's credit card records and information on all offshore banking accounts; receipts for their planes (The Ft. Worth Star Telegram reports that FAA records show Copeland owns three planes and his ministry has several more) and whether trips to Hawaii and Fiji on a ministry plane were for business reasons. Grassley also wants the specifics of a reported deal whereby the ministry - which possesses considerable mineral rights - allegedly used them to "capitalize" a for-profit company. All the questions seem aimed at determining whether Copeland had broken the tax laws regarding...
...letters are not subpoenas. But Grassley has asked for responses in the next month (the week after Huckabee's TV appearance, as it happens), and mused that they may lead to testimony under oath...
...Copeland family is apparently leaning toward not replying to Grassley. TIME attempted several times to reach them without success, but their website asserts that "We operate our church in full compliance with IRS guidelines" and although "we respect the Committee's right to raise issues that could impact the public... we are required only to share our information with the Internal Revenue Service." Unlike some of the other ministries contacted, which posted financial statements or (in one case) a letter from the IRS testifying that it complied with code in 1985 and 1986), the KCM website appeared to make public...