Without any public notice or explanation, the Internal Revenue Service has removed its longtime communications chief after new questions emerged about her past arrest and partisan online activity.

Jodie Reynolds, a 27-year veteran of the IRS, was dismissed from her position following inquiry into her 2015 drunk driving arrest and political posts dating back several years, as the Daily Caller reports.

Reynolds, who rose through the agency’s ranks to serve as its top spokeswoman, was quietly removed just days after the IRS was approached about her criminal history. Her name disappeared from the agency’s leadership listings soon after the Daily Caller News Foundation contacted the IRS for comment. An unnamed “acting” director now appears in her former position on the IRS's organizational chart.

The circumstances behind Reynolds’s removal remain unclear. The agency has offered no official statement regarding the departure. However, the timeline of the removal aligns closely with renewed focus on a 2015 incident in which she was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Details emerge from 2015 DUI Arrest

According to police records from Knightstown, Indiana, Reynolds was pulled over in October 2015 after she was seen speeding, failing to properly signal, and nearly driving off the road. During the stop, officers noted erratic behavior and an admission from Reynolds that she had consumed five beers.

Officers described Reynolds as acting verbally combative and experiencing abrupt shifts in mood throughout the traffic stop. She initially refused to take a breath test, which is considered an offense under Indiana’s implied consent laws. Authorities responded by securing a warrant to conduct a blood test, which reportedly showed she was over the legal limit.

Reynolds was subsequently found guilty of driving while intoxicated. Although she was not formally convicted, she was sentenced to a year-long probationary period. At a later hearing, a judge granted her restricted driving privileges, ruling that she had not “knowingly and willfully” refused the breath test.

Disciplinary history raises accountability concerns

Court documents also indicated that Reynolds had other infractions on her driving record, including five previous violations. Among them were four speeding tickets and a license suspension in 1995 relating to nonpayment of fines.

Despite this background, Reynolds continued to rise within the IRS. She became the chief of communications in 2023 and had been employed by the agency since the late 1990s, serving under both Republican and Democratic administrations. During her career, she occasionally represented the IRS in Washington, D.C., according to court documents filed by her attorney.

Public scrutiny grew not only due to Reynolds’ arrest record but also over her social media presence. In recent years, she appeared to share and endorse content critical of former President Donald Trump and his policies.

Political posts add to scrutiny

In 2018, Reynolds tweeted the hashtag "#familiesbelongtogether," opposing Trump’s immigration policy that allowed for family separation at the border. In another post, she liked content supporting a lawsuit against Trump for attempting to dismiss an EEOC official. In 2017, she shared a video from a Black Lives Matter activist that criticized the capitalist system.

This online activity led to criticism from watchdog groups. Tom Jones, president of the American Accountability Foundation, suggested Reynolds’ behavior reflected larger issues within the IRS. "This is an agency that will hammer working Americans over a paperwork mistake, yet it kept a top official on payroll after she was arrested for drunk driving," Jones said.

He further criticized the agency by noting the combination of Reynolds' DUI and subsequent promotion. "Reynolds could’ve killed someone, and instead of firing her, the IRS handed her a promotion," Jones added.

Digital footprint disappears

Following media outreach about her past arrest and political statements, Reynolds took down both her LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) profiles. Before her accounts were deleted, she had recently posted that she was exploring new professional opportunities.

The IRS had initially confirmed to inquiries that Reynolds still held her senior role. However, that changed after questions were raised about her past, leading to the removal of her name from official listings. The subsequent personnel update listed a new “acting” communications chief without any explanation from the agency.

In recent months, the IRS has been under growing pressure for internal reform. The Department of Government Efficiency, created during the Trump administration, has been overseeing recent staffing cuts. As of March, the IRS had reduced its workforce by nearly a third of its auditors and around 50 senior IT personnel, with additional layoffs reportedly pending.

Critics call for more agency transparency

Critics have pointed to Reynolds’ continued employment after her conviction as a sign of leniency that is rarely granted to average citizens. Her case brought renewed attention to potential disparities in how government agencies address misconduct among their high-level employees.

"Jodie Reynolds is a perfect case study of the rot inside the IRS," Jones said, echoing calls for increased oversight in hiring and internal disciplinary actions among public sector agencies.

The IRS has not confirmed who ordered Reynolds’ removal or whether it was directly related to her prior legal issues or political activity. As of now, her replacement remains interim, and the agency has offered no additional comment regarding the leadership change.