Pastor says IRS probe politically motivated

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 30, 2008

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) -- The pastor of one of Minnesota's largest churches said an IRS investigation into his ministry's finances is "politically motivated." The Rev. Mac Hammond is recognizable to a wide audience through Sunday morning TV broadcasts of his services at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park.

In March, the church declined to comply with an IRS summons, arguing that the law states the request must come from a "high- ranking official" of the IRS. The IRS has filed a petition in U.S. District Court to force the church to answer a demand for detailed financial information.