IRS Rehiring Employees Previously Sacked Over Abuses of Taxpayer Information

Because of course they are!

7.31.2017

The IRS is rehiring former employees despite the fact that they mishandled highly sensitive information on American taxpayers and other concerning abuses.

According to The Washington Free Beacon, these employees either falsified documents, had unauthorized access to taxpayer information, and various violations of the Internal Revenue Code.

Auditors said, “Two rehired employees had repetitively falsified employment forms by omitting prior convictions or terminations. One rehired employee had several misdemeanors for theft and a felony for possession of a forgery device, and another rehired employee had threatened his or her co-workers.”

Also, according to auditors, “Three rehired employees had ‘excessive’ absence without leave for more than 270, 150, and 140 hours respectively, and one rehired employee was cited for unprofessional conduct based on a verbal altercation with a security guard at an IRS facility.”

The report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration cites concern that the employees will be repeat offenders and that includes those employees who cheated their own tax returns.

Of the 2,000 employees hired by the IRS between 2015 and 2016, over 200 were fired or left while under investigation. The report advises:

Given the substantial threat of identity theft and the magnitude of sensitive information that the IRS holds, hiring employees of high integrity is essential to maintaining public trust in tax administration and safeguarding taxpayer information.

The IRS has not effectively updated or implemented hiring policies to fully consider past IRS conduct and performance issues prior to making a tentative decision to hire former employees, including those who were terminated or separated during an investigation of a substantiated conduct or performance issue.

IRS officials state that it would be “cost prohibitive to review prior issues before a hiring decision and tentative offer has been made.”

The report caused Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) to introduce a bill to nip this in the bud: “Whether it is the rehiring of previously terminated employees or continuing to give bonuses to poorly performing executives who can’t be fired – the delinquency at the IRS must end. It’s exactly actions like this that erode the public’s trust in their government.”