Back in 2007, U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) got concerned that some evangelical mega-ministries might be abusing their tax-exempt status by doing things like giving employees enormous salaries and housing allowances as well as ownership of huge houses, private jets and fancy cars. He requested information from six ministries, but little came of the effort because four of them flat-out refused to cooperate.

Most Americans don’t like the idea of government regulating religious groups, but one could understand Grassley’s concerns. When TV preachers who head tax-exempt nonprofits live in a string of mansions and pay enormous salaries to themselves and their family members, something is not quite right