February 7, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a watchdog group, has sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking the agency to investigate a preacher’s apparent endorsement of a presidential candidate. Under federal law, nonprofit organizations are not allowed to engage in partisan political activity and could lose tax-exempt status for violations.
Sen. Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, made a January appearance at the Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ, in Las Vegas, six days before Nevada’s political caucus. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the church’s pastor, Leon Smith, then made a number of political comments, including, “I want to see this man in office.”
The newspaper also quotes Mr. Smith as saying, “The more he [Obama] speaks, the more he wins my confidence, and — if the polls were open today, I would cast my vote for this senator.” The church has no comment on the allegations. The IRS has sternly reminded nonprofit groups that it will monitor political campaigning by charities in 2008.
