“The Church does not provide information about specific transactions or financial decisions,” spokesman Eric Hawkins said in a statement. Ensign is registered with authorities as a supporting organization and integrated auxiliary of the Mormon Church. No documents are provided to support this claim, which is attributed to information David Nielsen gleaned from working at the company. ADPhilip Hackney, a former IRS official who teaches tax law at the University of Pittsburgh, said the complaint raised a “legitimate concern” about whether the church’s investment arm deserved its tax-exempt status. By comparison, the Catholic church in the United States was reported in 2005 to receive $8 billion in annual tithes from 170 million members.

Source: Washington Post December 17, 2019 01:41 UTC