More than 24 hours after a Washington Post report told of questionable accounting practices in Senate candidate Roy Moore's non-profit foundation, the campaign fired back with a defiant statement that accused the newspaper of "sleazy tactics."

The campaign released a statement just after 6 p.m. Thursday from campaign chair Bill Armistead.

The Post report said that questionable accounting practices prompted the IRS to warn Moore's Foundation for Moral Law foundation that it might lose its tax-exempt status. Among the issues reported by The Post included failure to fully disclose income paid and owed to Moore.

Moore, the Republican nominee, faces Democrat Doug Jones in the Dec. 12 Senate election.

Moore is speaking at a Republican gala in Huntsville on Thursday night and was scheduled to meet briefly with reporters after the speech. But at the gala, the Moore campaign said that Moore will now no longer talk with reporters.

In his statement, Armistead blasted The Post and the story's reporters but took no issue with the contents of the newspaper report.

"In the past week, two reporters for the Washington Post have engaged in writing a so-called 'investigative' report on Judge Roy Moore," Armistead said. "They have harassed family, friends and neighbors and have also attempted to gain access to the Foundation of Moral Law building under false pretensions. That story culminated in an article published yesterday morning.

"The story was full of all of the same distortions and innuendos that characterized past political attacks on Judge Moore. Judge Moore is man of impeccable character who served our country during a time of war in Vietnam and is a true patriot who does not back down from those who violate our constitution. He has always served with integrity and according to the highest ethical standards."

The Post's report revealed that Moore received more income from the foundation than was originally reported in an attack ad by the Senate Leadership Fund during the GOP primary. Those ads said Moore received more than $1 million in salary over a nine-year period.

The Post reported that Moore received more than $1 million in salary over a five-year period and still holds a promissory note for $540,000 in lieu of not receiving his full salary in recent years as donations to the foundation have dwindled.

Armistead blasted The Post for being "liberal" and suggested those political leanings were the motivation behind the report.

AL.com has separately reported on Moore's foundation in recent weeks.

"It should be noted that the Washington Post is one of the most liberal newspapers in the country, endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for President, and has become the volunteer attack dog against conservatives for the Democrat National Committee," Armistead said in the statement.

"The two investigative reporters who wrote this piece on Judge Moore have 20 articles to their individual or collective credit since last year. Of those 20 articles, 17 are hits on either President Trump, Breitbart Executive Chairman Steve Bannon, or other conservative issues or initiatives. That should tell you everything you need to know about their purpose in life."

Bannon, formerly President Trump's chief strategist, has endorsed Moore for the Senate and actively campaigned on his behalf.

Moore has led in three polls released so far during the general election campaign.

"Voters in Alabama can see through the sleazy tactics of the Washington Post who are trying to discredit Judge Moore," Moore said. "They may have declared war on Judge Moore but Alabamians will have the final say when they send Judge Moore to the U.S. Senate on December 12th."

Jones released a statement Wednesday on the Post report.

"Once again, we see that Roy Moore has put his own interests ahead of the people of Alabama," Jones said in the statement. "This time, Moore misled the public and charitable donors by arranging a secret deal where he pocketed more than $1 million from his charity for part-time work.

"Despite denying that he was taking a 'regular salary,' Moore secretly arranged for payments to himself of $180,000 per year and is still owed extensive back pay. It's just more proof that Alabamians can't trust Moore to look out for anyone except himself and will not look out for the people of Alabama in the U.S. Senate."

Updated today, Oct. 12, 2017, at 7:23 p.m. with Moore refusing to meet with reporters as scheduled at Huntsville event.