IRS Official: Disneyland Conference 'Not the Best Use of Taxpayer Dollars'

Testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday, the IRS Commissioner responsible for allowing the agency to spend $4.1 million on a lavish 2010 conference at Disneyland said it was not the best use of taxpayer funds and such conferences would not be held today.  

Faris Fink, the Small Business and Self-Employed Division Commissioner, said “in hindsight, many of the expenses should have been more closely scrutinized and should not have been incurred at all.” He acknowledged the conference “was not the best use of taxpayer dollars.”

“We would not hold this same type of meeting today,” Fink said.

Fink reportedly spent nearly $1,500 a night on hotel rooms. He also played “Mr. Spock” in a Star Trek video agency employees filmed. He said he followed IRS guidelines and procedures in place at the time. 

J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration who conducted the audit, is also testifying before the Committee and said he did not believe the IRS broke the law in holding the lavish conference.