s ▁assist ants ▁prior ▁to ▁broadcast s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁Pop off ▁began ▁solic iting ▁don ations ▁for ▁a ▁program ▁to ▁provide ▁B ibles ▁to ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁by ▁att aching ▁them ▁to ▁hel ium - filled ▁bal lo ons ▁and ▁floating ▁them ▁into ▁the ▁country . ▁When ▁ske pt ics ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁prove ▁that ▁the ▁money ▁he ▁had ▁collected ▁had ▁in ▁fact ▁been ▁spent ▁on ▁B ibles ▁and ▁bal lo ons , ▁Pop off ▁st aged ▁a ▁burg l ary ▁at ▁his ▁own ▁headquarters . ▁On ▁subsequent ▁broadcast s ▁he ▁te ar fully ▁begg ed ▁for ▁additional ▁don ations ▁to ▁help ▁repair ▁the ▁damage . ▁ ▁Investig ation ▁by ▁James ▁Rand i ▁At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁his ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Pop off ▁would ▁accur ately ▁announ ce ▁home ▁addresses ▁and ▁specific ▁ill ness es ▁of ▁audience ▁members ▁during ▁his ▁" he aling ▁ser m ons ", ▁a ▁fe at ▁that ▁he ▁imp lied ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁divine ▁revel ation ▁and ▁" G od - g iven ▁ability ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁S ke pt ical ▁In qu iry ▁charged ▁that ▁Pop off ▁was ▁using ▁electronic ▁transm issions ▁to ▁receive ▁his ▁information ; ▁Pop off ▁denied ▁it , ▁ins isting ▁that ▁the ▁messages ▁were ▁div in ely ▁revealed . ▁S ke ptic ▁groups ▁distributed ▁pam ph lets ▁explaining ▁how ▁Pop off ' s ▁fe ats ▁could ▁be ▁accomplished ▁without ▁any