The Data Behind the RNLA HUD Complaint
On September 15, 2009 the Republican National Lawyers Association filed a complaint with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The complaint called for a thorough and complete investigation of ACORN and its massive web of affiliated organization.
HUD has given ACORN and its affiliates over $54 million dollars over the past decade. In light of recent high profile media investigations into ACORN’s criminal and fraudulent activities the Federal Government has an obligation to investigate whether your tax dollars were spent in furtherance of criminal and fraudulent activity. If ACORN and affiliates misspent or misused these grants from the Federal Government they have an obligation to repay the money.
Among the supporting documentation to the complaint the RNLA released some pretty staggering data. The RNLA compiled data regarding the officers and directors of ACORN’s various affiliates. When we started sifting through this data we noticed that the same people appear to be in control of each of these affiliates.
The data doesn’t lie. ACORN placed a trusted few individuals in control of each of their affiliates. For example two individuals served as “Assistant Treasurer” to over 30 different ACORN affiliates. These affiliated organizations routinely transferred large sums of money between and amongst the various ACORN entities. Is it appropriate for someone to serve as “Assistant Treasurer” to numerous organizations that are routinely transferring money between themselves?
The complaint revealed that over the past decade at least $85 million dollars has changed hands between ACORN affiliates. This data is only the tip of the ice berg. A full forensic accounting is needed to unravel the interlocking relationships of ACORN and its affiliates.