The Lacuna Project

lacuna (n.) a gap in a record where something should be

Independent research. Not affiliated with any government, agency, or company.

Religious body

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church / Eddie L. Long Ministries

Findings that rest on exhibits naming this entity

  • REL-5.1: On 5 November 2007 Senator Charles Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Finance, wrote to six media-based ministries: those of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Creflo and Taffi Dollar, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, Joyce and David Meyer, and Randy and Paula White. The letter to Hinn asks for audited financial statements, compensation, housing, vehicles, aircraft and related-entity information by 6 December 2007.
  • REL-5.2: In the Senate Finance Committee's July 2008 account, Meyer and Hinn answered all questions, White answered two of the question groups, Copeland answered part of them and none on compensation, Long's reply was "not responsive," and Dollar declined to provide any of the requested information.
  • REL-5.3: The committee's staff did not issue subpoenas to the ministries or to informants. The staff memo of 6 January 2011 gives three reasons: subpoenas to informants would be counterproductive, committee rules require the chairman's participation, and the 2009 health-reform legislation left no time or resources.
  • REL-5.4: The materials released on 6 January 2011 are a minority-staff memorandum to Senator Grassley, not a report adopted by the committee. The memo frames issues for consideration and contains no bill text, and on 5 January 2011 Grassley asked the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability whether the issues can be addressed without legislation.
  • REL-5.5: The staff memo states that four of the six churches refused to provide tax information, so staff could not determine whether and to what extent they report and pay taxes on income earned in related entities, including private airports and aircraft leasing companies.

Exhibits naming this entity

  • Exhibit 438 6 November 2007. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (ranking member Grassley): Grassley Seeks Information from Six Media-based Ministries
  • Exhibit 440 6 December 2007. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (ranking member Grassley): Memorandum: Ministries' response to Nov. 5 inquiry
  • Exhibit 441 31 March 2008. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Memorandum and release: Ministry responses; Baucus-Grassley follow-up letters of 11 March 2008
  • Exhibit 442 7 July 2008. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance: Memorandum: Ministry responses, with Background Questions and Answers
  • Exhibit 443 6 January 2011. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (ranking member Grassley): Grassley Releases Review of Tax Issues Raised by Media-based Ministries
  • Exhibit 444 6 January 2011. U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, minority staff (Pattara and Barnett): Memorandum to Senator Grassley: Review of Media-Based Ministries (61 pp.)