'AGT' Tim Poe Controversy: Howard Stern Wants to Let Voters Send the Liar Home

A big scandal hit "America's Got Talent" this past week, and not the kind that "The X Factor" manufactures on a regular basis. No, this scandal was real: singer Timothy Poe took the stage and related a story about being wounded by a grenade in Afghanistan, developing a stutter from the brain injury, and learning to sing during his speech therapy.

The problem is that none of that was true. Evidence came out against Poe that he wasn't injured in Afghanistan, did not receive the Purple Heart as he said he had, was in a band well before his time in Afghanistan, and most likely faked the stutter too. The picture he gave to AGT to show on the air wasn't even of him.

Naturally, the people at "America's Got Talent" were a bit upset about all this, and that includes new judge Howard Stern. But Stern isn't hoping that AGT cuts Poe out of the next episode, which is still in the pre-taped stage of the show. In fact, Stern hopes quite the opposite: "To me…I always kind of resented 'American Idol' when they would pull someone out because of a drug scandal or an arrest," he said on his radio show. "Let the audience decide on talent."

Stern noted that Poe's actions were "despicable," but wants to leave it up to America to send Poe home, rather than having the show kick him off.

Poe has since issued his own apology, trying to pass the whole thing off as confusion on his part about what actually happened. No amount of confusion explains the fact that he stole a photo to pass off as his own, though.

While Stern has a point and America would almost certainly vote this guy out the first chance that they get, the problem with AGT allowing Poe to continue is that he would get more screen time. Any amount of time on TV is free publicity for a singer, the kind of exposure that most performers sign up for reality shows to get. Considering the damaging lies that Poe has used to get where he is, shouldn't he be refused that publicity?