News

Shatner ‘appalled’ by IRS ‘Trek’ spoof

by Mario Trujillo - 03/26/13 2:56 PM ET

William Shatner said he is “appalled” by the Internal Revenue Services’s spoof of “Star Trek” — the television show that made him famous for his portrayal of Captain James Kirk.

Last week, the IRS apologized for spending $60,000 on the parody, which was intended to be used as a training video. Lawmakers — and now the show’s star actor — have blasted it as a senseless use of taxpayer money.

{mosads}“So I watched that IRS video. I am appalled at the utter waste of U.S. tax dollars,” Shatner tweeted Tuesday Morning.

The six-minute “Star Trek” video made in Maryland was shown to agency employees at a conference in 2010. In the video, IRS workers are meticulously dressed as characters from the popular TV show and are flying a staged space craft towards the planet “Notax.”

Shatner, who is known for his distinct style of overacting, didn’t weigh in on the performance seen in the video.

The IRS has called the video a “mistake” and promised to clamp down on similar productions in the future.

“The IRS recognizes and takes seriously our obligation to be good stewards of government resources and taxpayer dollars,” the agency said. “There is no mistaking that this video did not reflect the best stewardship of resources.”

The video was made public when the House Ways and Means Oversight subcommittee requested it along with a separate parody that the IRS made of the television show “Gilligan’s Island.” The “Gilligan’s Island” video was deemed to have training value.

“There is nothing more infuriating to a taxpayer than to find out the government is using their hard-earned dollars in a way that is frivolous,” said Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Oversight subcommittee, in a statement last week.

Tags Charles Boustany