IRS Probes Huckabee Endorsement
BUENA PARK, Calif. (AP) - Southern Baptist pastor Wiley Drake said Wednesday that he is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service for his endorsement of GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee in a press release written on church stationery.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.
Drake, a prominent pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention, said he received a 14-page letter from the IRS on Feb. 7.
IRS spokesman Rafael Tulino said Wednesday that he could not comment.
On Aug. 11, Drake wrote a press release on letterhead from the First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park that announced his personal endorsement of Huckabee, who also is an ordained Baptist minister.
“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.”
He added: “I believe God has chosen Mike for such an hour, and I believe of all those running Mike Huckabee will listen to God.”
Two days later, Wiley repeated his endorsement on his church-based Internet show, “The Wiley Drake Show.”
A complaint was filed with the IRS by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.
“I commend the IRS for investigating Pastor Drake’s flagrant abuse of church resources,” Barry Lynn, executive director for Americans United, said in a statement.
Drake defended his news release and comments on the talk show, saying that he was only offering his personal endorsement of Huckabee—not the church’s.
“I think I’m perfectly within my rights and I am upset,” he said in an interview.
His attorney, Eric Stanley, said Drake and other pastors have a right to free speech, even in politics.
“They can feel free to personally endorse candidates. It was not a church endorsement and he made that very clear,” said Stanley, who is representing Drake on behalf of the Alliance Defense Fund.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
If you go to MikeHuckabee.com click on “blog” off to the right you will see “bloggers for huckabee“. There you will see that Mike Huckabee’s official website links to:
A Young Pastor’s Perspective
Gospel Fellowship Pastor’s Blog
Pastor Dan Walker
Pastor Dave Mason
Pastor Jon
Pastor Mike
Pastor Steve Weaver’s Blog
Pastors for Huckabee
Perhaps these “pastors” are not using their official church property to Support Huckabee. However they do all have official “Alabama for Huckabee” or other such buttons on their website. Huckabee is breaking the spirit of the law, that separates church and state, by linking to these websites from his official blog.
I wonder what these pastors think about the fact that Huckabee pardoned 1033 criminals, and let 12 convicted murderers go free? I know these people hate Romney because they say that he believes you are saved by works. They agree with Huckabee (and Romney) that you are saved by grace. But should he be elected to be president of the united states, by grace? Because you are born again, should you be president, or is it OK to look at your works, when judging if you are fit to be president? By their fruit ye shall know them. What kind of fruit is 1,033 criminals, and 12 convicted murderers? A week after the NIE report was all over the front page of every newspaper in the county, while Mike Huckabee was running for president, he knew nothing about it. The day that Britney Spears’ little sister was pregnant, Mike Huckabee knew every detail about it, and even wrote an open letter to her, injecting himself into the situation much like Dr. Phill, for political gain, saying that she can be forgiven. Huckabee had more faith in his own judgment than that of the juries that heard 1,044 cases that he overturned. Huckabee tried to tie Bhutto’s Assassination to Illegal Immigration. Huckabee defended the use of the confederate flag saying, “if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell ‘em what to do with the pole, that’s what we’d do.” Hay Huckleberry, nice fruit.
The simple fact is: there can be too much religion in politics. There has been too much religion as a reason to vote for elected government officials voting in Northern Ireland. It would be better if they voted for the best guy, not the best catholic or the best protestant. There has been too much religion as a reason to vote for elected government officials voting in Iraq. But were do we cross the line? Do you think Huckabee crosses the line linking to all these pastors from his official blog? What message is he saying? I think it is interesting Huckabee links to 8 blogs that call themselves pastors, but no blogs that call themselves conservatives.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:59 am
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has specifically directed it’s members not to in any way use the church in their political discussions. During the meetings you wouldn’t know the election process was going on.
It seems that some Churches even have political meetings at their locations and during their services.
Members of churches have a right, perhaps even an obligation to be involved in the political process since the political culture is affecting all our lives. But, there does need to be a separation. It’s a shame that the government is the one forcing it. - P
February 14th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Oh, come on, how can you argue with God’s endorsement? I mean, he prayed about it, and Huck is the one. Argument closed, guys.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I remember Huckabee’s guns ‘n’ huntin’ photo shoot where he picked up the phesant he had shot dead and said “this is what happens to people who get in my way.” Such a good Christian.
My ex-church (very small congregation of about 40 members…nearly all very young) gave Huckabee $46,000, shades of Gore’s nuns. I didn’t stick around to find out how the pastor had funneled the $, except it was a 20 members x $2,300 thing. The Huckabee cash troll who contacted my ex-pastor was given his name by televangelist Kenneth Copeland, now under investigation by Sen. Grassley. There is so much corruption in Huckabee’s life, and his followers are blided by his smooth talk. I have a saying: “If you like Huckabee, you’re going to love the Antichrist. ”
Alex
February 14th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
It really is a shame that the 1st Amendment (simply a written form of a God-given right) has no power today. Of course, people, churches, whomever, should have a right to share their opinions, even if the opinion is absurd, like this poor pastor saying Huckabee has been chosen by God. To each his own.
I wish the IRS would butt out.
This is what’s wrong with our corrupt American government. The Constitution has been eroded so far, and our freedoms taken away that this type of IRS abuse continues unabated. However, there is a man, Ron Paul, who would get rid of the abusive IRS. Yeah, it’s radical — going back to an America where freedom rang without fear of being jailed.
One of the key reason churches have far less influence than they otherwise would is because they are “granted” tax-free status by the almighty government. Of course, he that giveth can taketh away, and that was exactly the message to this baptist church, and you better believe that the “pull the guns out approach” is effective. He’ll step right back into line, like the rest of America’s clergy.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Mike Huckabee went to the Cayman Islands today to give a paid speech, and told the media that he has debts that he has to pay, so he has to keep working to pay his bills, the same as John McCain, Hillary or Obama who are drawing their senate salaries even though they are absent from their jobs quite often.
Since Mitt has seen fit to bury the hatchet and throw his support behind “Mean Man McCain”, Mitt should find it in his heart to offer Huck a job as his gardener to replace the crew that he had to fire because they had undocumented workers working for them. I’m sure that Huck could find enough documented workers in his campaign to fill a yard mowing crew.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:25 am
I always that the other candidates and most particularly Huckabee were simply jealous of Mitt’s money as evidenced by their nasty accusations about his money. Isn’t it sad that someone lsucceeds at living the American Dream that everyone hopes for and our troops fight for, but McCain and Huckabee are so jealous of him - rather reminds me of school kids on the playground. Even today Huckabee was still complaining about Mitt’s money.
It’s really sad Huck has to work. Maybe if he hadn’t stolen so much from the good folks of Arkansas, he’d be blessed with a good job. I agree a landscape crew on Mitt’s Belmont property would be a good job for Huck.