The Brief Writer

As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creflo Dollar's lawyers are questioning the propriety of Senator Grassley's request for financial information of Dollar's church and ministry. As noted in the article, the Church Audit Procedures Act provides significant protections for churches during Internal Revenue Service audits. These protections are reflective, in part, of the First Amendment's separation of church and state. One significant part of an IRS investigation/audit is that the information obtained cannot be disclosed to third parties. Presently, it is not clear whether Senator Grassley and/or the Senate committee intends to adhere to that standard.

Recently, on its webpage, Kenneth Copeland Ministries has indicated that it will respond appropriately to the Internal Revenue Service.  The ministry's press release implies that it will not publicly respond directly to Senator Grassley's request due to privacy concerns.