Obama speech prompts IRS letter to church

HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The mayor of Hartford, Conn., wants Congress to probe an IRS threat to strip a church's tax-exempt status following a speech by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

The Internal Revenue Service threatened the United Church of Christ's tax status over the Democratic presidential hopeful's speech to a church convention in Hartford last year, The Hartford Courant reported Wednesday.

"This IRS action should outrage members of both parties and people of faith throughout the country," Mayor Eddie A. Perez said Wednesday.

If the federal agency is successful, Perez said all houses of worship that invite elected officials to speak on topical subject "could fear losing their non-profit status."

In a letter sent to the church, the IRS said candidates may speak at church functions, but if a candidate is speaking "in his or her capacity as a candidate, then other candidates running for the same office must also be invited."

The church said Obama was one of 60 speakers from various fields invited to discuss how their faith and vocations link, the newspaper said. Church officials said Obama was invited a year before announcing his candidacy.