The House Republican Conference has released a great set of talking points out that outline the issues with ACORN and also what House Republicans have done to combat ACORN in recent days. See below for what they've been saying and also be sure to check out their site for more information and to see what else they've been up to lately!
Acorn—Corrupt, Liberal, and on the Taxpayers’ Dime
BACKGROUND
ACORN, the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, touts itself as
being the nation's largest community organization of low- and
moderate-income families. But the corrupted organization and loyal
Democrat ally has proven itself once again to be a mere front for
groups to undermine democracy, the economy and civility-all at the
expense of the U.S. taxpayers. The activist group became infamous last
year when it was investigated for voter registration fraud in 15
states. To date, some 70 ACORN workers have been convicted for voter
fraud registration.
On July 23, 2009, Representative Darrell Issa
(R-CA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, issued an in-depth report on the structure and operation of
ACORN. The report, Is ACORN Intentionally Structured As A Criminal
Enterprise states, "The evidence contained in this report proves that
ACORN's stated purpose to promote grassroots civic participation has
been perverted through fraudulent and illegal acts. The weight of
evidence against ACORN and its affiliates is astounding. This syndicate
of tax-exempt organizations has coordinated and implemented a
nation-wide strategy of tax fraud, racketeering, money-laundering and
manipulating the American electorate."
The Democrats' ties to
ACORN are strong. In October of 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported,
"[T]he Obama campaign paid $832,000 to an ACORN affiliate. The campaign
initially told the Federal Election Commission this money was for
‘staging, sound, lighting.' It later admitted the cash was to get out
the vote." In Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly
blocked attempts restrict ACORN's access to federal funds. And
according to the Wall Street Journal's John Fund, President Obama "ran
a voter-registration program for an Acorn partner (Project Vote) and
then worked for Acorn as a lawyer on key cases."
There have been
numerous media reports on ACORNS activities. On September 9, 2009, CNN
reported, "Arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for 11 Florida voter
registration workers who are suspected of submitting false information
on hundreds of voter registration cards, according to court documents.
The FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were serving the
warrants in Miami. Six people are already in custody, officials said.
The workers were employed by ACORN to canvass neighborhoods in Florida
and assist people in registering to vote ahead of the 2008
election...Authorities allege the workers submitted false information
on the cards, which were to be submitted to the Miami-Dade Supervisor
of Elections."
On September 10, 2009, Fox News reported, "ACORN
officials videotaped telling a 'pimp and prostitute' how to lie to the
IRS." The videotape documented ACORN officials in its Baltimore,
Maryland, Brooklyn, NY, Washington, DC and San Bernardino, CA offices
advising "the pimp" on how to get a housing loan, launder money, and
falsify tax documents for a proposed brothel that would employ underage
girls smuggled into the U.S. from a foreign country.
TAXPAYER FUNDS
Unfortunately,
ACORN receives both taxpayer funding and assistance in recruitment.
According to Rep. Issa's report, ACORN affiliates have received more
than $53 million in federal funds from 1994 to 2008 and substantially
more indirectly from federal block grants that States and cities
receive. The group could also get a portion of up to $8.5 billion more
tax dollars from the economic stimulus bill enacted in February and the
2010 federal budget.
The Washington Examiner reported, "An ACORN
affiliate has just submitted applications for over $6 million in
government funding...ACORN Institute has filed two separate
[applications] with the Commerce Department...One in the amount of
$3,172,042 and the other in amount of $2,999,903." Additionally, on
June 26, 2009, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the Financial
Services Committee, introduced legislation (H.R. 3068), to direct $2.5
billion in TARP dividends to two housing trust funds and $4 billion of
the remaining $700 billion original TARP funds to subsidize foreclosure
prevention-funds that would be assessable to ACORN through neighborhood
stabilization programs.
REPUBLICAN SOLUTION
On
September 15, 2009, Republicans introduced the Defund ACORN Act (H.R.
3571). The legislation would prohibit any organization, including
ACORN, that has been indicted for violations of State or federal
election laws, or that employs an individual who has been indicted for
violations of state or federal election laws, from accessing federal
taxpayer dollars.