Senate Panel Investigating Six Top Televangelists

CBS News:

CBS News has learned Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating six prominent televangelist ministries for possible financial misconduct.

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 determine whether or not these ministries are improperly using their tax-exempt status as churches to shield lavish lifestyles.

The six ministries identified as being under investigation by the committee are led by: Paula White, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn. Three of the six - Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar - also sit on the Board of Regents for the Oral Roberts University.

Read the whole story: CBS News

Comments

[kardwell]

07:45 PM on 11/07/2007

I'll be satisfied only when Pat Robertson and John Hagee's names top the list.

[Nova16]

08:34 AM on 11/07/2007

While he's investigating--how about the idiocy known as "faith based initiatives" instituted by the dolt pandering to his "base". There have been so many serious problems created by the criminals in Washington--foreign and domestic-- sending this democracy into freefall has become alarming. The majority of us know that that the republicans and their enablers in the lunatic fringe of talk radio, Faux News, Religious phonies, war mongerers and profiteers have placed the security, economic welfare and future of this nation in jeopardy as a functioning and viable economy and republic. The disaster of the Bush administrations is increasingly leading this nation to a point where no reasonable attempt to repair the damage will provide a remedy to overturn years of greed, malfeasance and misfeasance in the highest office in the land. America appears to be screwed!

[gibraltar]

06:16 AM on 11/07/2007

Just in the last few weeks news of shenanigans at Fellatio Roberts University. As a recovering Evangelical I am forced every day to confront what my idiotic parents did to me!!!

[visionar7]

05:07 AM on 11/07/2007

It's about time, I think they should all pay taxes for their riches just like us regular folk do. If they can buy real estate, art, investments...then they need to be paying taxes.

[drblack]

01:46 AM on 11/07/2007

If you have to be superstitious it should be a personal and private matter. Any religious organization which goes beyond the local community with ads, Tv etc should be taxed just like a business. These con-men (and women) are rich as hell.
Why isn't Pat Robertson on this list?

Nothing is a bigger threat to America then neoCONS but superstitious people without a notion of science are a close second and the neoCONS wouldn't have stolen elections without these reality challenged people.

[nunzia]

10:06 PM on 11/06/2007

Since most of those loonie-tune fundies are repugnicans, I wonder what Grassley's up to.

[testerwebbdemocrat]

08:20 PM on 11/06/2007

Growing up in fundie-land (see profile), I was a kid musician at some of these con shows. Standing backstage, I learned how they do it. They get you to fill out cards when you walk in, with your name, hometown, and your "prayer request" or "how Brother so-and-so" can help you. The workers collect all the cards & give them to the Director, who is sitting backstage where you can't see him. The "minister" has an earpiece and a wireless (notice all the hair? duh) The Director proceeds to read off the cards during the service in the con man's ear, and Presto! its a freakin miracle that he somehow knows everybody's needs. Usually, only the first "heeaaal-ed" person is a plant. Then the staff posing in the crowd heighten the hysteria by pointing & screaming. The rest of these poor gullible people fall for it every time. After the "show" (thats what they call it), they all go off to breakfast and laugh their asses off. I was only a kid at the time, but I was an eyewitness to everything I just described.

Rope and a tree is too good for em, just like Republics.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

08:06 PM on 11/06/2007

This current group of money changers have been inside the temple for quite some time now. We all know what Jesus did to them the first time.

Well, times have changed - we now have waterboarding. WATERBOARD THESE MOTHER FUCKERS NOW.

It isn't torture after all, right?????????? Just trying to get to the truth using enhanced interrogation techniques, right??????

[Marichu]

08:02 PM on 11/06/2007

What really bothers me the most about these televangelists is how they prey on the poor, the elderly, the desperate and the uninformed. They seduced their congregation with promises and expectations that, with the right amount of money to God's representatives on Earth, will come true. They preach "prosperity gospel" that promises material rewards for those who give to the church.
So the poor or those on fixed income give more than they should to these pseudo Christians. And these unscrupulous individuals have multiple residencies, drive luxury cars and even have had plastic surgeries all paid for by those naive and trusting souls.

[JScott]

06:44 PM on 11/06/2007

Only 6?

While they're at it investigate why they all have that 'helmet hair' and the heavy makeup and pink and blue wigs that Jan Crouch has on TBN.

[Navy26Yrs]

05:56 PM on 11/06/2007

The church (any church) need not be taxed - but the leaders of these churches that get a free ride tax wise and live opulent, luxurious lives at the expense of the flock should be taxed...taxed...TAXED...on the income.

[outnow]

05:08 PM on 11/06/2007

"Elmer Gantry" was on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on cable TV. Burt Lancaster played the salesman who became a evangelical preacher. Lot's of money was made for all until a woman showed up from his past. The book was written by Sinclair Lewis, the socialist in the 1920's. It wasn't until the 1060's that the movie could be made in the good old USA because of the pressure from the Christians. It won an academy award for Burt Lancaster.

The movie could never be produced today. Even then, it was produced independently. Like India, we have our "sacred cows." This bull s---t TV fake religion is one of them. How many Jim and Tammy Fee Bakers does it take, Jimmy Swaggerts or Pat Robertsons before the stupid Americans realize that the feel-good old-time religion is the opiate of the masses that keeps them repressed and voting for those who repress them - the economic elites.

[Dandy12]

05:04 PM on 11/06/2007

Benny is such a fraud! He often practices his healing touch - fall over before the service/show begins (like the night before at the Peabody Hotel)! Overheard conversation: Tammy Fae remarked in Orlando, "I can't wait for those envelopes with one hundred dollar bills to start coming in". When she heard Jim was going to visit attorneys later that afternoon, she remarked, "I'm going shopping".
STOP the fraud! This is why I often take the word "healing" and substitute "stealing", portrayed as an unknown hand picking someone else's money.

[buddydave]

04:33 PM on 11/06/2007

Psst... Senator Grassley... there's more than SIX out there...

[TheWesternBreed]

04:00 PM on 11/06/2007

Now there are some preachers on TV
With a suit and a tie and a vest;
They want you to send your money to the Lord,
But they give you their address.
'Cause all of your donations
Are com-plete-ly tax-free!
God bless you all, but most of all,
Send your money!

--Hank Williams, Jr., 1980s