Senate review of ministries, including Long and Dollar, raises tax policy questions

"We didn’t evaluate each ministry for findings of wrongdoing, as we’re not an enforcement agency," said Jill Gerber, Grassley's press secretary. "Instead, we found the basis for a serious stakeholder discussion of tax policy issues that would affect ministries and churches, such as whether the parsonage tax allowance should be limited for those who have multiple mansions and lake houses, tax-free."

According to Fulton County property records, the review said, Creflo and Taffi Dollar bought a residence at 4695 Hamden Forest in August 1996. In April 1998, the Dollars executed a quitclaim deed to convey the property to World Changers Church International Inc. for zero dollars.

“A quitclaim deed means any debt associated with the property would now become the responsibility of WCCI,” the review stated. The loan associated with the property was paid off later that year. The committee staff said it was unable to determine if the Dollars paid off the loan to the bank or if WCCI paid the loan.

World Changers could not be reached for comment.

Grassley wrote to six televangelist ministries in 2007  requesting information about their operations. Of the six ministries, only two, Joyce Meyer Ministries and Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church, provided answers to all the questions.

Three  ministries provided  incomplete information. They were Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church; Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church/Eddie L. Long Ministries; and Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries.

World Changers, which was incorporated in 1994, was called the "least cooperative." To date, the review said, the committee staff has been unable to determine the names of the ministry's board members or any information regarding compensation.

The committee staff also was unable to locate any information regarding Long's salary from New Birth, and New Birth did not provide that information to Grassley's staff. However, there are some examples of money that flowed to Long.

In the summer of 2008, for example, Long spoke at Without Walls International Church in Tampa. According to a staff member of Without Walls, Long charged the church $7,500 for fuel for the private jet he used to fly from Atlanta to Tampa. Additionally, according to the review, the church paid his hotel costs and a $15,000 honorarium.

Long issued a statement through his spokesman, Art Franklin.

“From the very beginning of this exhaustive process, I was absolutely confident that a comprehensive investigation would clear me of any wrongdoing,” the statement said. “I am relieved that after more than three years of intense investigation and countless untrue allegations that Sen. Charles Grassley’s review has found no evidence of wrongdoing."