[Apologetics] Franklin Graham: IRS targeted us, too

[Art Kelly]

Franklin Graham: IRS targeted us, too
Politico
Reid J. Epstein
May 14, 2013
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/franklin-graham-irs-targeting-9136
2.html

The IRS came after Billy Graham, too, his son charged Tuesday in a
letter to President Barack Obama.

Franklin Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association and the family's international humanitarian organization
Samaritan's Purse, said that the IRS notified the organizations in
September that it was conducting a "review" of their activities for tax
year 2010.

With the IRS admitting it gave extra scrutiny to conservative political
organizations, Graham says he now believes that the review was part of
an Obama administration effort of "targeting and attempting to
intimidate us."

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association urging of voters to back
"candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support
the nation of Israel" during last year's presidential race was the
reason why IRS agents visited the North Carolina offices of both Graham
groups, the letter accuses.

"While these audits not only wasted taxpayer money, they wasted money
contributed by donors for ministry purposes as we had to spend precious
resources servicing the IRS agents in our offices," Graham wrote in the
letter, which was shared with
<http://images.politico.com/global/2013/05/14/130514_graham.html>
POLITICO
<http://images.politico.com/global/2013/05/14/130514_graham.html> . "I
believe that someone in the administration was targeting and attempting
to intimidate us. This is morally wrong and unethical - indeed some
would call it 'un-American."

Graham said that "in light" of the IRS admission that it targeted tea
party groups for added scrutiny, "I do not believe that the IRS audit of
our two organizations last year is a coincidence - or justifiable."

Graham was not available to comment Tuesday because he was traveling, a
spokesman said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request
for comment. An IRS spokesman said that he had not seen the letter and
could not comment.

The Graham organizations kept their federal income tax exemptions after
the audit - but were not told they'd be able to until after the November
election, he wrote.

Graham, who last week attended a White House meeting for religious
leaders to discuss gun control, said the IRS story threatens to engulf
all manner of non-profit organizations.

"Mr. President, the IRS has already publicly acknowledged it operated in
a less than neutral and non-partisan way," Graham wrote. "We also now
know that the target of their improper actions was much wider than
political or Tea Party organizations. Will you take some immediate
action to reassure Americans we are not in a new chapter of American
history - repressive government rule?"

The IRS review, which Graham wrote involved an IRS agent visiting the
two agencies last October, followed the Billy Graham ministry publishing
newspaper ads in North Carolina backing a state constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage. The amendment passed in May.



Disclaimer: The Republican National Committee provided the above article
as a service to its employees and other selected individuals.  Any
opinions expressed therein are those of the article's author and do not
necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the RNC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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