The Houston Area Pastors’ Council sent a letter to the IRS asking that it investigate Americans United for the Separation of Church and State for accusing an area pastor of improper conduct because he personally endorsed a candidate.  Many fear it’s a tactic that will only increase in an effort to suppress the evangelical vote in November.

It all started when Pastor Steve Riggle personally endorsed candidate Shelley Sekula Gibbs in her election bid.  Americans United accused the pastor of violating election law because the letter of endorsement was sent on church letterhead. Now Riggle is facing an IRS investigation.  Rob Boston is with Americans United.

“It seems to me that some houses of worship are trying to have the lucrative benefit of tax exemption without any of the conditions that come with it and I think that’s unrealistic.”

Kelly Shackelford, who helped the Houston Area Pastors conference draft a complaint letter to the IRS refuting the accusations, thinks it’s a ruse for what’s really going on.

“What they really hope is that people don’t understand the law because what they want to do is try to file these kinds of frivolous complaints and then hold press conferences, even though nothing ever comes of these complaints, they hope that people don’t know that and then they hope that they can scare pastors and churches out of doing what they’re called by God to do.”

Focus on the Family Action analyst Bruce Hausknecht says the attacks aren’t likely to end anytime soon.

“Americans United has a history of stepping up these types of intimidation tactics as elections draw near.”

“It gets spread across the newswires supported by a liberal media and it has some impact on most churches.”

Instead of being intimidated, Hausknecht encourages pastors to know their rights and exercise them as Election Day draws closer.