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The auditing begins

Kelly Jane Torrance

The election may be over, but the issue of free preach from the pulpit is not. About 20 churches are being investigated for the actions of their leadership during the election, The Washington Post reports:

The IRS also is increasing its scrutiny of tax-exempt organizations, [Internal Revenue Commissioner Mark] Everson said, including about 60 alleged to have been improperly involved in this year's political campaigns.

The agency received more than 100 complaints from individuals and members of Congress "from across the [political] spectrum" of alleged tax law violations by such groups, Everson said. A committee of IRS career professionals vetted the complaints and decided to pursue about 60, of which about a third involve religious organizations, he said.

Everson is asking Congress to increase his agency's budget, to enable them to engage in more investigations.

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