Pastor Wiley Drake Investigated by IRS After Huckabee Endorsement

• Pastor Wiley Drake of Buena Park, California received a 14 page letter from the IRS after a complaint from Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
• The complaint resulted from an August 11, 2007 press release that Drake wrote on letterhead from the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park endorsing Mike Huckabee.
• According the AP the press release said "After very serious prayer and consideration, I announce today that I am going to personally endorse Mike Huckabee," the release said. "I ask all of my Southern Baptist brothers and sister to consider getting behind Mike and helping him all you can."
• The AP also reported that "Under federal tax law, church officials may legally discuss politics, but they cannot endorse candidates or parties without putting their tax-exempt status at risk. Most who do so receive only a warning."

Source:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjm0zUi-ujjFYgD3nfQjQvxAT9uwD8UPKU000

http://www.au.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr004=49ygu0pw33.app13a&abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9665&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241

Wiley Drake Investigated by IRS for Mike Huckabee Endorsement