How could the IRS get even worse? Add Howard Stern

Last updated on: May 19, 2017 at 8:38 am by Mark Meckler

How could the IRS get even worse? Add Howard Stern 2017-05-19T08:38:17-06:00 Mark Meckler

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Embed from Getty Images

If the IRS couldn’t get itself into enough trouble on its own, one of its employees determined it would be a good idea to call shock jock Howard Stern from work and what happened is mind-boggling.

Here’s the story in a nutshell: an IRS employee calls The Howard Stern Show and is placed on hold. While waiting, the IRS employee takes a call on another line from a taxpayer but somehow, and seemingly inadvertently, patches both calls together. When Stern’s show goes back to the call they can hear it and for nearly an hour, aired the private conversation.

Who does this? Oh, yeah, Howard Stern. (And, oh, yeah, the IRS.) As terrible as it was for Stern to air a conversation that includes personal details about a taxpayer, the IRS employee could’ve been much more careful — or how about this — not called The Howard Stern Show while on the clock.

Paul Caron at TaxProf Blog says this scenario is the perfect addition to any law school exam question:

The law school question is … in how many ways might the Howard Stern Show be civilly and criminally liable?

The question will likely be answered by the courts. The taxpayer has sued both the IRS for violations of the Federal Tort Claims Act and unlawful disclosure of tax returns and personal information, the Howard Stern Production Company, and Stern individually, for negligence, invasion of privacy, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The punishments should be doled out across the board. The IRS is long overdue for some accountability. The agency needs to be at least one employee short, though I fear they might just be promoted, and IRS Commissioner John Koskinen should be groveling on the ground, begging for forgiveness from the unsuspecting victim. We are paying these people to do their jobs, not to multi-task for a spot on a radio show.

As for Stern, he needs to be raked over the coals for thinking this was remotely okay. Perhaps some of his tax-deferred savings could be used to pay the person’s tax bill since he ripped away their right to privacy. That’s a start.

From the very top the very bottom, the IRS is corrupt through and through. When you stoop to the Howard Stern level, you’re no longer a viable agency. Enough is enough is enough.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

February 17, 2017

Harvard students freak out over dating app that only offers (gasp!) two genders

Next Post

February 20, 2017 University administrators funneling money to themselves, disproving their "economic equality" nonsense

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw a vision of a pot boiling toward the north?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jeremiah Isaiah Zechariah Habakkuk