Thread: After Census Cuts Ties, ACORN May Face Scrutiny of Housing

After Census Severs Ties, ACORN May Face Scrutiny of Housing Grants

ACORN Housing Corporation received $1.6 million in federal money to provide housing services to low-income communities in this fiscal year

FOXNews.com
Saturday, September 12, 2009

Conservatives have cheered the Census Bureau's decision to sever ties with ACORN because it had lost confidence in the group, but the hidden-camera videos that prompted ACORN to fire four workers this week could raise more questions about the federal funding ACORN receives for housing outreach.

ACORN Housing Corporation received $1.6 million to provide housing services to low-income communities in this fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, according to USASpending.gov, a federal government Web site for tracking government grants.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants has given $8.2 million to ACORN in the years between 2003 and 2006, as well as $1.6million to ACORN affiliates.

HUD could not be reached for comment.

The hidden-camera videos, released this week, showed workers in two separate ACORN housing offices apparently helping a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute evade the IRS and apply for an illegal housing loan for a brothel. A 25-year-old independent filmmaker, James O'Keefe, posed as the pimp in the undercover expose, which was conceived by a friend, 20-year-old Hannah Giles, who posed as a prostitute.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the offices shown in the videos had received any of ACORN's federal grant money for housing services.

The Census Bureau notified ACORN on Friday in a letter that it is severing all ties with the group for all work having to do with the 2010 census.

"Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN's affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010 Census efforts," read a letter from Census Director Robert M. Groves to the president of ACORN.

"Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed through your many local offices. For the reasons stated, we therefore have decided to terminate the partnership," the letter said.

ACORN responded Saturday by blaming FOX News and conservatives for fueling the controversy.

"By its actions, Fox is not a news outlet but rather an advocacy organization for rightwing interests that seek to defeat healthcare reform and stymie solutions to the foreclosure crisis," the group said in a statement to FOXNews.com. "That said, with regard to the Census, ACORN has always said it would encourage full participation in the decennial count, and we will continue to do so."

ACORN chief organizer Bertha Lewis claimed that the videos capturing her former workers were "doctored, edited, and in no way the result of the fabricated story being portrayed by conservative activist 'filmmaker' O'Keefe and his partner in crime."

Lewis said ACORN will take legal action against FOX News and those involved in the making for the videos. ACORN offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, among other places, were also targeted, she said.

"I am appalled and angry; I cannot and I will not defend the actions of the workers depicted in the video, who have since been terminated," she said

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09 ... nds-acorn/

ACORN needs to be cut off now. Ill not have taxpayer dollars going towards setting up child prostitution whore houses ANYWHERE in my country. That is beyond sickening...

READ THE LAST 4 Paragraphs carefully.
betha lewis of ACORN says shes going to sue fox and the people who made the video because it was doctored and edited

Taxpayers should demand a full investigation and demand their money back. I just hope that ACORN is not going to use grant funds to sue Fox.

Now it is "Attack the Messenger".....

September 12, 2009
Prosecute the ACORN video makers? (updated)
Rick Moran
You may have heard that Johnny Depp will be starring in a new version of Alice in Wonderland coming out next year. He has been cast as the Mad Hatter but methinks director Tim Burton missed the boat in hiring Depp for that part.

Instead, he should have seen if Maryland State's Attorney Patricia Coats Jessamy was available considering that her office is looking into going after the two intrepid reporters who videotaped ACORN in the act of breaking several laws.

Talk about falling down a rabbit hole...

WBAL has a copy of a statement released by the Baltimore City State's Attorney:


Baltimore, MD - September 11, 2009 - We have received inquiries from citizens and the media asking whether the Baltimore City State's Attorneys Office would initiate a criminal investigation for acts allegedly committed at ACORN offices located in Baltimore. The only information received in reference to this alleged criminal behavior was a YouTube video. Upon review by this office, the video appears to be incomplete. In addition, the audio portion could possibly have been obtained in violation of Maryland Law, Annotated Code of Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article §10-402, which requires two party consent.

If it is determined that the audio portion now being heard on YouTube was illegally obtained, it is also illegal under Maryland Law to willfully use or willfully disclose the content of said audio. The penalty for the unlawful interception, disclosure or use of it is a felony punishable up to 5 years.


Incredible.

Meanwhile, no word on what, if any, charges are being brought against the ACORN employees who were advising Mr. O'Keefe and his friend to defraud the IRS, among other illegal advice.

This is so outrageous that Michelle Malkin is giving Jessamy "The Malkin Treatment." When violations of common sense and the public sensibility is this bad, Michelle will publicize the offending official's email address and phone number, inviting her hundreds of thousands of readers to get in touch with the official in an attempt to change their mind.

I would not want to be in Patricia Jessamy's shoes today.

Update: reader Chris provides a link to a video of Jessamy offering praise to Barack Obama, and evidence that she worked for worked for the Maryland for Obama Steering Committee. She should recuse herself, given Obama's ties to ACORN.
Video at link also............

http://www.americanthinker.com/printpag ... ake_1.html

ACORN has some really nasty thugs representing them. All taxpayer money should be stopped from going into their sleezy organization.

let Acorn sue FOX and let's have some fun! LOL this nonsense makes me laugh. I think we Americans are waking up and calling this BS and enough is enough!

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT......the communist, like your country depends on it-

Because it does!!!