A U.S. senator is investigating the finances of a handful of well-known ministries, including two based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa and a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, on Tuesday released letters he has written to Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Kenneth Copeland Ministries in the Wise County town of Newark, and four others.
The letters ask for audited financial statements and information about executives' pay and benefits, including private jets.
Mr. Grassley said the investigation was triggered by news reports and complaints from the public and will look at whether the ministries have abused their tax-exempt status.
"The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls-Royces," Mr. Grassley said.
"I don't want to conclude that there's a problem, but I have an obligation to donors and the taxpayers to find out more. People who donated should have their money spent as intended and in adherence with the tax code."
Mr. Hinn and Mr. Copeland are the leaders of their organizations and are well known from their programs on Irving-based Trinity Broadcasting Network.
No one from Mr. Copeland's organization could be reached for comment. A spokesman for Mr. Hinn said the request for information was under review.
Ministry watchdog groups hailed Mr. Grassley.
"He's my hero," said Ole Anthony, founder of Trinity Foundation of Dallas, which has long investigated ministries that use television broadcasts to ask for money but provide little if any information on how donations are spent.
Mr. Anthony said Trinity worked with Mr. Grassley's staff for the last two years and provided a "very, very complete data set" on certain ministries.
The other subjects of Mr. Grassley's investigation are ministries led by David and Joyce Meyer of Fenton, Mo.; Randy and Paula White of Tampa, Fla.; Bishop Eddie Long of Lithonia, Ga.; and Creflo and Taffi Dollar of College Park, Ga.
Many ministries join other nonprofits in filing Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service, thus providing basic public information on revenues and expenditures.
But others, including the ones targeted by Mr. Grassley, are organized as churches and claim exemption not only from paying taxes but from providing basic financial data.
"Some of what's going on is just not what the government intended when they gave these tax exemptions," said Rusty Leonard, founder of Ministry Watch, a North Carolina group that grades ministries on financial transparency.
Mr. Leonard said his group has sought information from all the ministries involved and has received cooperation only from the Meyers.
Should the ministries not comply with Mr. Grassley's request for information, subpoenas are likely to be forthcoming, Mr. Leonard said.
Kenneth Behr, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, predicted the ministries would cooperate but may not be able to satisfy the Senate Finance Committee or the IRS.
"There's probably going to be transactions that are uncovered that possibly were taxable events," he said. "In that case, there's probably going to be fines."
Mr. Grassley's five-page letter to Mr. Hinn asks, among other things, for details about a residence at 35 Ritz Cove in Dana Point, Calif.
The six-page letter to Mr. Copeland and his wife, Gloria, asks about aircraft use, overseas bank accounts, mineral rights, and the relationship between various for-profit and nonprofit entities.
Mr. Hinn has drawn controversy for his claims of faith healing, and Mr. Copeland's preaching of the "prosperity gospel" also has brought criticism.