United States Senate inquiry into the tax-exempt status of religious organizations

On November 5, 2007, United States Senator Chuck Grassley announced an investigation into the tax-exempt status of six ministries under the leadership of Benny Hinn, Paula White, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, and Kenneth Copeland by the United States Senate Committee on Finance.

[14] The outcome of the three-year investigation was that there was no definitive findings of wrongdoing, and the pastors who refused to cooperate received no penalties.

[19] Dollar contested the probe, arguing that the proper governmental entity to examine religious groups is the IRS, not the Committee on Finance.

[15] Grassley asked Joyce Meyer Ministries to divulge financial information[24][25][26] to the committee to determine if Meyer made any personal profit from financial donations, asking for a detailed accounting for such things as cosmetic surgery and foreign bank accounts and citing such expenses as a $23,000 commode.

[15] While many have mistakenly associated this piece of furniture with a common household toilet, this particular term actually refers to the classic definition of commode identified by Webster's Dictionary as, 'a tall elegant chest of drawers.'

The organization referred to its annual financial reports, asserting that in 2006, the ministry spent 82 percent of its total expenses "for outreach and program services toward reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as attested by independent accounting firm Stanfield & O'Dell, LLP."

The message also quoted an October 10, 2007, letter from the Internal Revenue Service which stated, "We determined that you [Joyce Meyer Ministries] continue to qualify as an organization exempt from federal income tax under IRC section 501(c)(3)."

Senator Grassley solicited assistance from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and its president, Kenneth Behr, in the inquiry.

[31] The Alliance Defending Freedom protested the investigation and the National Religious Broadcasters said the questions Senator Grassley asked were too broad.