California Church May Resist IRS Probe

All Saints Episcopal Church, in Pasadena, Calif., said it may defy an Internal Revenue Service request for documents pertaining to the federal agency’s investigation into whether the church violated laws that limit nonprofit groups’ involvement in political campaigns, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The church is being scrutinized for an antiwar sermon delivered before the 2004 presidential election that some people say was partisan campaigning. The Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, said the probe is a violation of the group’s constitutional rights.

The All Saints case is part of a far-reaching effort by the IRS to crack down on illegal nonprofit electioneering. Despite the agency’s scrutiny, both liberal and conservative churches plan to register voters and educate them about where candidates stand on various issues as the midterm Congressional elections approach, reports The New York Times.