The Internal Revenue Service’s acting commissioner, Daniel Werfel, loves just about everybody who works with shock jock Howard Stern, according to the long-serving public servant’s Twitter account.
Werfel, who follows only 51 people and has sent out only one tweet, follows Howard Stern and the Stern Show. He also follows Stern’s wife, Beth Ostrosky Stern, and Jon Leiberman, a reporter for “The Howard Stern Show” and Stern’s “Howard 100 News.”
The Twitter account @diw1971 (D Werfel) is barely active and features only the Twitter egg rather than a photograph, but it follows and is followed by Werfel’s wife Beth, who is listed as living in Arlington, along with several other apparent family members. Werfel did not respond to requests for confirmation by email and Twitter.
Werfel apparently isn’t the only fan of the Howard Stern show at the IRS. In 2005, the K-Rock deejay, Lee Mroszak, a.k.a. Crazy Cabbie, was sentenced to a year in prison for bragging on Howard Stern’s show that he owed more than $100,000 in back taxes. An IRS agent was listening that day.
In addition to numerous sports radio, Werfel also follows the Canadian prog rock band Rush — whose 1976 album “2112” is dedicated to “the genius of Ayn Rand.”
Prior to being appointed IRS commissioner, Werfel was the point person for decisions related to the sequester. He also supported the creation of a proposed commission to sell off vacant or underutilized government buildings to private developments and buyers. His actions have been praised by both Republican and Democratic governments.
In 2010, Werfel, who was then controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management in the Office of Management and Budget, pointed out that the federal government had paid out more than $180 million in benefits to 20,000 dead people in just three years.
In testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee yesterday, Werfel vowed to reformer the scandal-plagued federal tax agency. “The agency stands ready to confront the problems that occurred, hold accountable those who acted inappropriately, be open about what happened, and permanently fix these problems so that such missteps do not occur again,” he said.
“We must have the trust of the American taxpayer. Unfortunately, that trust has been broken,” Werfel added.
UPDATE: Werfel’s account apparently stopped following Stern after this story appeared.