Obama's General Synod speech prompts IRS to investigate UCC's tax-exempt status

Obama's General Synod speech prompts IRS to investigate UCC's tax-exempt status: "The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ's national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's address at the UCC's 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in 'political activities.'

In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax inquiry 'because reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.'

The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president, called the investigation 'disturbing' but said the investigation would reveal that the church did nothing improper or illegal."