Thread: ACORN affiliate listed as federally approved charity

ACORN affiliate listed as federally approved charity
Government employees may donate portion of paychecks directly to group
Posted: October 27, 2009
10:43 pm Eastern

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

The federal government has listed an ACORN affiliate in its catalog of approved charities – allowing federal employees to set up payroll deductions and donate a portion of paychecks directly to the group.

The ACORN Institute, an affiliate of the national umbrella organization of ACORN, is featured in the Office of Personnel Management's 2009 CFC list of participating national and international organizations.

The government's annual workplace charity campaign allows federal employees to contribute to qualified charities with cash, checks or payroll deductions.

According to a Washington Post report, ACORN transferred millions of dollars in charitable contributions meant for the poor to arms of ACORN that have political and even profit-making missions in 2006. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, released a report warning, charities "are being used to raise monies which are then funneled to other charities or to other organizations for purposes other than what the donor may have intended. . . . Dollars raised for charitable [purposes] appear to be used for impermissible lobbing and political activity."

Grassley asked that the ACORN Institute and other ACORN affiliates be taken off the list of approved charities.

"The acts perpetrated by ACORN employees were impermissible and should not be supported with CFC dollars," Grassley wrote in a Sept. 22 letter to Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry.

ACORN is under investigation for voter registration fraud, embezzlement and other charges. As WND reported, independent filmmaker James O'Keefe and student Hannah Giles ran an undercover sting on ACORN, revealing a multitude of recommendations from employees of the community organizers on how to facilitate underage prostitution and avoid taxes. The stings resulted in both houses of Congress voting to stop funding ACORN and both the U.S. Census Bureau and the IRS cutting off their partnerships with the group.

WND also documented President Obama's extensive personal ties to the group.


Berry replied to Grassley's letter on Oct. 17, stating that the ACORN Institute is the only ACORN affiliated group listed in the CFC catalogue of charities.

"[T]he activities of certain offices of ACORN that have been reported in the media do not provide legal basis for excluding the Institute from the CFC," he wrote. "Nor is such a basis provided by the recent continuing resolution which prohibits Federal funding of ACORN or its affiliates, because the ACORN Institutes does not receive Federal funds by virtue of its participation in the CFC."

He also said the ACORN Institute is a legally separate organization from ACORN, holding 501(c)(3) status.

"While Federal monies are, of course, used to accomplish the mission and operations of OPM and other agencies as they execute payroll allotments and perform duties related to the CFC, Federal monies are not 'provided to' the ACORN Institute, Inc., within the meaning or scope of the CR [Congressional resolution]," Berry said.

According to the Post report, Grassley responded in a statement: "The Combined Federal Campaign is a federal program for federal employees. By keeping ACORN charities on the list, the federal government is giving its seal of approval to a group that advised people to lie to the IRS. And this position is inconsistent with congressional intent, as well as the IRS and Census Bureau's stand that they no longer want to do business with ACORN."

Executive director Brennan Griffin told the newspaper that the ACORN Institute has received less than $50,000 from the CFC since it applied to join in January 2007.

The ACORN Institute website states, "The ACORN Institute operates a countrywide network of ACORN Centers which provide free tax preparation, benefits enrollment, and foreclosure prevention services. In partnership with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), our network of ACORN Centers aims to create community and family stability in low- and moderate-income communities by putting more money into the local economy and allowing individuals to gain access to appropriate resources needed to take care of their families."

The group also works with ACORN to provide leadership development and training.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=114188

GO GRASSLEY! But let me say, there should be no "approved charity" for direct deduction from employee salaries in government or anywhere else. This creates the extreme opportunity for management abuse to persuade, influence or even coerce employees to contribute to a cause they may not approve to gain favor with managers who can track and judge them on.

That is so wrong! If someone wants to donate to a charity, they must do so on line or through the mail, not by employer with-holdings and direct pay from their paychecks! This is outrageous!!

Holy Crap!!

Is National Council of La Raza on that "approved list" I wonder? How can we find out?