Tax Lawyer's Blog

TaxProf has a funny tongue-in-cheek post about the following statement President Obama made at his Arizona State University commencement address last week:

President Crowe and the Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS.

You’ll recall that the Board of Regents had decided not to issue an honorary degree to the President because his body of work is not yet complete.

Here’s the Associated Press on the flap:

Commencement speakers typically are awarded honorary degrees as a sign of respect and appreciation. Arizona State officials, however, did not award any such degrees this year.

“His body of work is yet to come. That’s why we’re not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency,” university spokeswoman Sharon Keeler said after the school’s student newspaper first reported the decision.

Of course, the Comedian-in-Chief was doing his usual stand-up routine when he made the joke, but Professor Caron points out that federal law makes it a terminable offense for any employee of the IRS to threaten to audit another for personal gain or benefit.

So what happens if ASU finally confers the honorary degree on the President?

Congressional investigation, baby!

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