Local ACORN Office Appears In Controversial Video

SAN DIEGO -- A national scandal involving a community advocacy group has made its way to San Diego, 10News reported.

10News learned that the National City office for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now was the target of a hidden camera sting by conservative activists.

The videotaped stings have taken place in several cities including New York City and San Bernardino.

In the video, filmmakers posing as a prostitute and pimp seek information on housing assistance so they could start a brothel and employ underage girls. An ACORN employee is heard giving advice and urging the pair to lie about their revenue to receive government help.

The filmmaker and his partner visited the National City office in July, sources told 10News' Juliette Vara.
David Lagstein of ACORN said what the pair did in a San Bernardino office is the same as what they did inside his office.
"They succeeded in tricking some people to say stupid comments, but can't I comment on what happened here," said Lagstein.
Lagstein's office is small, with him and two other men working here. He would not tell 10News who the film crew spoke with.
ACORN assists people -- many of them inner-city residents -- with housing needs, tax relief and food stamps.
However, as a result of the undercover video, the group cannot accept applications any longer and services are currently stalled.
"What we will do is refer them to community partners that can provide services," said Lagstein.
The U.S. Census Bureau has severed its relationship with ACORN, and the Senate voted to deny Housing and Urban Development funding to the group.
"It's shocking, the level of corruption," said Ron Nehring, who chairs the California Republican Party.
Nehring said he is outraged and is initiating another investigation immediately.

"We will call for a forensic audit on all voter registration," said Nehring.

Lagstein said he isn't proud of the controversy.
"Our goal is to be 100 percent perfect, and we are not," said Lagstein.
He added that the organization as a whole is working to improve.
However, some critics have said it is too late.

ACORN's national office said it is "disturbed by what was seen in some of the videos and will do whatever it takes to re-establish trust."

UPDATE:

Fox News obtained a copy of the video in which one of the National City ACORN workers advising the filmmaker on how to smuggle underage girls from Mexico, as well as the worker inquiring about the price of the services from the woman acting as the prostitute:

Filmmaker: Logistically, I mean is it better if it's Tijuana, is it better if it's, um, somewhere inland? Where, where is the best place? Um, I'm not quite ... there's like all these answers he wants right away.

ACORN Employee: It's better, it's in Tijuana.
Filmmaker: Tijuana?
ACORN Employee: Yeah.
Filmmaker: Why?
ACORN Employee: Because I have a lot of contacts in Tijuana.
Filmmaker: OK, and they might be able to assist crossing the border?
ACORN Employee: Yeah
Filmmaker: OK, there's like 12 of them is that okay?
ACORN Employee: 12?
Filmmaker: 12.
Female Filmmaker: 12 girls.
Filmmaker: There's 12 girls but they're like ,they're like 13 to 15 years old.
ACORN Employee: Oh yeah?
Filmmaker: Yeah.
ACORN Employee: I want to contact to you only right now for e-mail.
Filmmaker: Got it.
ACORN Employee: How much you charge ... (inaudible)
Filmmaker: For her services?
Female Filmmaker: Well, for the entire weekend, I mean ... (inaudible)
ACORN Employee: Are you gonna work for me ... (inaudible)
Filmmaker: Are you a potential client?

http://www.10news.com/news/20955231/detail.html
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Journalists Visited Local ACORN Office
ACORN under fire after undercover videos were broadcast
By GENE CUBBISON
Updated 7:16 PM PDT, Wed, Sep 16, 2009

The journalists at the center of an embarrassing scandal for the grass-roots organization ACORN also paid a visit to the ACORN office in San Diego County.

Grass-roots organizing has gotten a black eye on the national stage after undercover videos involving ACORN, a controversial group with a local office, were released that were shot during a series of visits from a hidden-camera crew.

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, a video was broadcast on Fox's "Hannity" that purported to show a San Diego ACORN staffer discussing human trafficking with two people who were undercover.

Earlier in the day, local ACORN officials, at an office in National City, said they were upset over the fallout and admitted that the undercover filmmakers paid a visit to them. They say no "paperwork" wound up being filed. At that point, no "gotcha" video had surfaced.

"I think none of our offices are 100 percent perfect. Our office here in San Diego is no different. I think what is important is that every day we are saving people from foreclosure,â€