Dr. Ben Carson reportedly had his "first encounter with the IRS" after his viral speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in February, the accomplished neurosurgeon revealed at a Monday night event with business leaders and elected officials in Alabama.

Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon Dr. Ben Carson, right, signs a book for Delegate William Frank, R-Baltimore County, in Annapolis, Md., Friday, March 8, 2013. Credit: AP

While Carson stopped short of accusing the IRS of targeting him because he openly criticized policies implemented by President Barack Obama or due to his outspoken conservative views, he did note that the tax agency's visit wasn't very surprising.

“I had my first encounter with the IRS this year, unsurprisingly after the Prayer Breakfast," he said at the annual Business Council of Alabama Chairman’s Dinner.

Carson had managed to avoid gaining the attention of the IRS prior to his now-famous speech.

"Dr. Carson’s speech at the prayer breakfast went viral, in large part, because his criticisms of the public policy coming out of Washington happened with President Obama sitting only a few feet away," the Washington Post reports.

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