A group hostile to religion in the public square is calling on the IRS to investigate Liberty University’s tax-exempt status because it hosted Sen. Ted Cruz hours after his presidential campaign announcement.

In a letter to the IRS, Americans United for Separation of Church and State said Cruz’s speech at an LU convocation last week amounted to a campaign rally.

ted cruz announcement

This is “precisely the sort of activity that should warrant an investigation into the school’s tax status,” reads the letter from the group’s executive director Barry Lynn, according to the Roanoke Times.

“It sure looks and smells and walks and feels like an endorsement to us,” Lynn says.

Leaders of the private university dismissed the anti-religion group’s accusations.

“Every effort was made to make sure it was not a campaign event. It was a Liberty convocation,” President Jerry Falwell Jr. tells the paper, adding convocation is “an educational forum for students and features a variety of speakers, including politicians.”

The university’s general counsel says Cruz’s campaign wasn’t allowed to bring signs, buttons or other political materials.

“The event was a speech. It wasn’t an announcement of candidacy for the Republican nomination of president,” according to General Counsel David Corry. “We were clear with the folks from the campaign in advance that this would not be an announcement.”

In fact, Cruz announced his candidacy on Twitter at midnight on March 23, the day of the Liberty event.

“Indeed, it appears that Sen. Cruz chose Liberty because it offered him certain advantages, and Liberty was more than happy to work in coordination with the senator to assist his cause,” Lynn writes in his letter to the IRS, urging the agency to take action against the university.

But leaders dispute that notion, too.

“As you know, Liberty University does not support or oppose candidates for public office, and Sen. Cruz’s appearance here should not be interpreted by any as an endorsement of his candidacy,” Falwell says.

“If you understand all the information and you have the full context, you’ll realize this isn’t favorable treatment, this isn’t support,” according to Corry.

“We hope every candidate from a major party would think so highly of Liberty University as to want to come here and talk to our student body. That’s great for the university, it’s great for the students, it’s great for education and great for increasing political involvement and awareness, and that’s what we’re about.”

The original speaker for the March 23 convocation was Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat.