Clarifying IRS Rules

Now I'd love to see Jim Dobson get in trouble with the IRS, except what happens to him could happen to me. I felt the same when the IRS was questioning Rick Warren's housing allowance -- it's a lot bigger than mine -- but if he lost his I'd lose mine.

Anyway, the IRS has finished its audit of Dobson and his organizations and has determined that he hasn't done anything wrong. What I think is important is the reasoning -- which may or may not help George Regas and All Saints Episcopal of Pasadena.

"Our examination revealed that Dr. Dobson's reported remarks did not occur in publications of Focus on the Family, did not occur at functions of Focus on the Family, and did not involve Dr. Dobson suggesting that he was speaking as a representative of Focus on the Family," the IRS said.

That seems to give religious leaders a great degree of latitude -- though Wiley Drake's using church letterhead would not seem to come under this ruling as appropriate.

For more on this read the Ethics Daily report here.