Swordsmyth
08-22-2017, 08:46 PM
The IRS ignored a report issued in December 2014 by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) that revealed that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was rehiring people it had previously fired for misconduct. That misconduct included failure to file and pay their own income taxes, falsifying documents, and theft of and illegal use of sensitive taxpayer information. What’s to keep the IRS from ignoring that report’s update, released in late July?
The latest report from the TIGTA (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2017reports/201710035fr.pdf) scorned the IRS for continuing the practice:
TIGTA found that more than 200 of the more than 2,000 former employees who were rehired between January 2015 and March 2016 were previously terminated from the IRS or separated while under investigation for a substantial conduct or performance issue….
Four … had been terminated or resigned for willful failure to properly file their Federal tax returns; four separated while under investigation or unauthorized accesses to taxpayer information; and 86 separated while under investigation for absences and leave, workplace disruption, or failure to follow instructions.
Investigators learned that part of the reason these people were rehired is because those doing the hiring didn’t know, or weren’t informed, that they had a previous severely blemished record with the IRS:
Although the IRS follows specific criteria to disqualify applicants for employment, past IRS employment history is not provided to the selecting officer for consideration.… IRS officials stated that it would be cost prohibitive to review prior issues before a hiring decision … has been made.
However, the IRS was unable to provide documented support for this position.
In addition, some of those reapplying for a position lied on their applications, omitting damning information:
TIGTA also found that 27 former employees failed to disclose a prior termination or conviction on their application, as required, and were rehired by the IRS.
The report made the same recommendations as it did in its previous report, which recommendations were ignored:
TIGTA recommended that the IRS Human Capital Officer provide the selecting official with access to former employee conduct and performance issues, and require that the basis for rehiring employees with prior employment issues be clearly documented.
IRS Human Capital Officer E. Faith Bell dutifully responded that, yes, she would make sure this time that the report’s recommendation will be followed in the future: She has “commissioned a team” to begin implementing those recommendations.
More at: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/26752-inspector-general-says-the-irs-is-rehiring-people-who-were-fired-for-illegal-behavior
The latest report from the TIGTA (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2017reports/201710035fr.pdf) scorned the IRS for continuing the practice:
TIGTA found that more than 200 of the more than 2,000 former employees who were rehired between January 2015 and March 2016 were previously terminated from the IRS or separated while under investigation for a substantial conduct or performance issue….
Four … had been terminated or resigned for willful failure to properly file their Federal tax returns; four separated while under investigation or unauthorized accesses to taxpayer information; and 86 separated while under investigation for absences and leave, workplace disruption, or failure to follow instructions.
Investigators learned that part of the reason these people were rehired is because those doing the hiring didn’t know, or weren’t informed, that they had a previous severely blemished record with the IRS:
Although the IRS follows specific criteria to disqualify applicants for employment, past IRS employment history is not provided to the selecting officer for consideration.… IRS officials stated that it would be cost prohibitive to review prior issues before a hiring decision … has been made.
However, the IRS was unable to provide documented support for this position.
In addition, some of those reapplying for a position lied on their applications, omitting damning information:
TIGTA also found that 27 former employees failed to disclose a prior termination or conviction on their application, as required, and were rehired by the IRS.
The report made the same recommendations as it did in its previous report, which recommendations were ignored:
TIGTA recommended that the IRS Human Capital Officer provide the selecting official with access to former employee conduct and performance issues, and require that the basis for rehiring employees with prior employment issues be clearly documented.
IRS Human Capital Officer E. Faith Bell dutifully responded that, yes, she would make sure this time that the report’s recommendation will be followed in the future: She has “commissioned a team” to begin implementing those recommendations.
More at: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/26752-inspector-general-says-the-irs-is-rehiring-people-who-were-fired-for-illegal-behavior