Group Urges IRS To Investigate California Church For Political Endorsement

On Tuesday, Americans United for Separation of Church and State wrote the Internal Revenue Service (full text of letter) urging it to investigate a Buena Park, California church for possible violations of Internal Revenue Code provisions that prohibit non-profits from endorsing political candidates. (AU press release.) AU says that on August 11 Dr. Wiley S. Drake, pastor of the First Southern Baptist Church, issued a press release on church letterhead endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, and urging other Southern Baptists to support him also. The endorsement was also broadcast on an August 13 Internet radio show.