Congressional Report: ACORN Involved in Organized Crime
By Matthew Vadum 7.23.09
A new congressional report accuses the radical activist group ACORN of organized criminal activities. I will have a full article here on the American Spectator website in the morning about it.
The report, called "Is ACORN Intentionally Structured As a Criminal Enterprise?" comes from minority staff on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The ranking member on the committee, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California), is appearing on the "Glenn Beck Program" on Fox News today to discuss the report.
The report, available here, contains information about the ACORN network's interlocking directorates, various unethical and possibly unlawful activities, and the shocking fact that despite its mounting legal problems, ACORN remains eligible for $8.5 billion in federal funds this year.
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/05/06...ligible-for-85
Here's an excerpt from the congressional report:
Quote:
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud. Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate.
Emerging accounts of widespread deceit and corruption raise the need for a criminal investigation of ACORN. By intentionally blurring the legal distinctions between 361 tax-exempt and non-exempt entities, ACORN diverts taxpayer and tax-exempt monies into partisan political activities. Since 1994, more than $53 million in federal funds have been pumped into ACORN, and under the Obama administration, ACORN stands to receive a whopping $8.5 billion in available stimulus funds.
Operationally, ACORN is a shell game played in 120 cities, 43 states and the District of Columbia through a complex structure designed to conceal illegal activities, to use taxpayer and tax-exempt dollars for partisan political purposes, and to distract investigators. Structurally, ACORN is a chess game in which senior management is shielded from accountability by multiple layers of volunteers and compensated employees who serve as pawns to take the fall for every bad act. [...]
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Congressional Democrats have shown little interest in probing ACORN. After initially expressing interest in an investigation, House Judiciary Committee John Conyers (D-Michigan), a longtime ACORN ally, backed off saying "the powers that be decided against it."
http://spectator.org/blog/archives/2...powers-that-be
The website of "Lou Dobbs Live" indicates Issa will also be on that show at 7 p.m. (Eastern) tonight to talk about the report.
http://loudobbs.tv.cnn.com
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/23...port-acorn-inv
Going on offense against the ACORN conspiracy
On June 1, I wrote:
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/06/01...al-enterprise/
Quote:
“ACORN is a criminal enterprise.”
These are the five simple words that every conservative candidate and officeholder should be repeating often and loudly.
It’s about the fraud. It’s about the coordinated corruption. It’s about the effect on housing, the economy, and the entire electoral landscape.
Does the GOP get it yet? At least one Republican candidate does.
Kris Kobach, the former Bush administration national security/immigration enforcement official and constitutional lawyer, announced that he will run for Kansas Secretary of State last week. His prime motivation: stopping the ACORN racket…
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Kobach’s campaign website is here.
http://www.kriskobach.org
The Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a report today that says exactly what I have said they should be saying:
Quote:
“The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud,” according to the report’s executive summary. “Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate. Emerging accounts of widespread deceit and corruption raise the need for a criminal investigation of ACORN.”
The report includes significant new information about wrongdoing brought to the attention of committee investigators by ACORN whistleblowers.
Highlighted in the report: http://republicans.oversight.house.g...spx?NewsID=616
* ACORN has evaded taxes, obstructed justice, engaged in self dealing, and aided and abetted a cover-up of the $948.607.50 embezzlement by Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke.
* ACORN has committed investment fraud, deprived the public of its right to honest services, and engaged in a racketeering enterprise affecting interstate commerce.
* ACORN has committed a conspiracy to defraud the United States by using taxpayer funds for partisan political activities.
* ACORN has submitted false filings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor, in addition to violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
* ACORN falsified and concealed facts concerning an illegal transaction between related parties in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
“It is outrageous that ACORN will be rewarded for its criminal acts by taxpayer money in the stimulus and is being asked to help with the U.S. census,” said Rep. Issa. “This report shines a light on clear criminal conduct and it is abundantly clear that they cannot and should not be trusted with taxpayer dollars.”
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The report is 88 pages and does an excellent job of providing background on the Rathke embezzlement scandal, ACORN’s tax evasion, and violation of ERISA laws. Those who have followed whistleblower Anita MonCrief’s work will be familiar with many of the sections on the political coordination between ACORN, Project Vote, and its tax-exempt affiliates — particularly CCI and CSI. Still, there is only passing mention of the intimate relationship between ACORN and Team Obama – and only one line about the Obama campaign’s misreported $800,000+plus expenditure to CSI/ACORN, which I reported on back in August 2008.
We’re still at the tip of the iceberg.
Which is why ACORN apologists are trying their damnedest to muzzle the whistleblowers who get the big picture.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/23...rn-conspiracy/
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! 
Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?
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