It’s dumpster diving for documents at ACORN
What comes to mind when you think about document cover-ups? Watergate? Perhaps, Sandy Berger stuffing his pants full of classified documents from the National Archives in Washington D.C.? Now we can add ACORN to that list.
ACORN in San Diego first came under fire when they fell for the old pimp and prostitute number that included opening a sex den with taxpayer money and sneaking under-age El Salvadorian girls into the U.S. to perform sex acts for perverts.
The excuse for that indiscretion was the employee spoke English as a second language and didn’t understand what the undercover filmmakers were saying. Really? That particular employee, Juan Carlos Vera, was thrown under the bus and fired the next day.
In a phone interview David Lagstein, San Diego ACORN director explained, “Our employee was guilty of bad judgment and he was terminated. There is no story here. The San Diego Republican party is trying to play gotcha politics, nothing more.”
In an effort to shine up ACORN’s tarnished image Lagstein, announced at a Democratic meeting that he had spoken with the State Attorney General, Jerry Brown and was told the fault would placed on the videographers, not ACORN.
He explained the State of California’s AG, Brown is a “political animal.” Brown is expected to be the front runner for an upcoming California governor’s race, making the ACORN investigation a particularly tricky problem due to the new audio tapes that have surfaced and document dumping just days before his office was set to investigate.
In a written statement, Evan Westrup wrote “The Attorney General’s Office has contacted the office of the individual who allegedly recovered these documents and has requested that he turn over all information which he believes relates to a violation of law or otherwise relates to our investigation.”
“There is absolutely no truth to the assertion that the Attorney General’s Office has come to any conclusions or that the investigation is complete,” Westrup said. “This investigation, like all investigations conducted by the Attorney General’s Office, will be fair, comprehensive and independent.”
However, ACORN’s devious days are not over. Now they have dumped more than 20,000 documents into their trash dumpster. Some of the documents that were found included; Social Security numbers, driver licenses, birth dates, credit card numbers, cancel checks, bank mortgage paper work, various official applications and food stamp paperwork.
Again ACORN had an answer. “It’s routine for ACORN offices to empty office files to make way for upcoming projects and employees must have inadvertently thrown out the wrong documents,” said Amy Schur, California State Organizer for ACORN.
Unfortunately for ACORN, San Diego private detective, Derrick Roach happened to be driving by and video tape ACORN employees take numerous bags to the garbage dumpster.
“It’s careless disregard for the people that ACORN claims to be helping,” Roach said. “They put people’s lives at risk. This was a massive data breech.”
In the meantime the excuses and blame continue at the San Diego ACORN office. “We are looking to attorneys and the District Attorneys office to file charges against the man who took the documents.”
Tony Krvaric, Chairman of the San Diego Republican Party lambasted the ACORN office at a press conference and called it “a massive data breach, at the very least, of individuals who have come to ACORN for help and assistance.” He continued to say ACORN’s failure to protect or shred the documents “is an absolute affront to every San Diegan.”
Brown spokesman Westrup said yesterday the attorney general’s investigation into ACORN is ongoing. The Oct. 15 meeting in National City was scheduled in advance by both parties. Strangely this makes the ACORN October 9th document dump perfect timing.
However, document dumping isn’t only happening in San Diego, yesterday it was reported by BigGovernment.com that another Oklahoma ACORN office has dumped paperwork into the trash and left items behind in an abandoned office. The landlord of the Oklahoma office says he is owed several months back rent.
One of the documents left by ACORN employees in Oklahoma was quite revealing and offered advice to staff members on how to win political races. The document read; “Become an influential organization by shaping a handful of strategic legislative districts that, by themselves, can change that controls the state legislature. In other words, by taking credit for controlling some swing seats that return state senate power to progressives in 2008 and the state house to progressives in 2010, ACORN may not have members in a majority of districts, but we will be seen as the force that is making Oklahoma a progressive state in the way that it was 100 years ago.”
“By using this power to win significant changes for working people, by the end of our 5 years, we will have legitimized the progressive takeover of the statehouse and head into 2012 with a real possibility of changing what Oklahomans look for and expect out of their Congressional delegation.”
In another ACORN story, the battered organization has put together a lawsuit and will sue the federal government for halting funding at the height of the company hoopla. The group contends Congress and the federal government have tarnished their fundraising abilities.
Finally it’s quite clear that BigGovernment.com’s Andrew Brietbart is not going to back off until a meaningful investigation takes place in California as well as Washington D.C.
“The questions millions want to know now, that ACORN has again brazenly mocked our nation’s laws; will Eric Holder and Jerry Brown do their jobs?” Brietbart explained this is only the beginning of all the documents and if Holder fails to conduct a full investigation of ACORN, BigGovernment.com will continue to release tapes and documents leading up to the 2010 elections making it embarrassing for Democrats.
It looks like BigGovernment.com has an early Christmas present for the folks at ACORN.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
A new tape surfaces, casting doubt into the investigation of ACORN
Not only was ACORN disgraced at several locations throughout the country when employees allegedly jumped at the chance to participate in criminal activities, but now they have a sticky situation developing with California State Attorney General, Jerry Brown.
State of California’s AG, Brown is a “political animal,” said David Lagstein, San Diego ACORN’s go to guy. Brown is expected to be the front runner for an upcoming California governor’s race, making the ACORN investigation a particularly tricky problem due to the new audio tapes that have surfaced.
If the audio tapes are true there is some profoundly unethical behavior taking place. According to judicial advocates it is not proper protocol to discuss the eventual outcome of an ongoing investigation with the party involved. This is exactly what happened when a call was placed to the State Attorney General’s office yesterday. “We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation,” said a spokesperson.
However, information received from the San Diego Republican Party leader, Tony Krvaric stated, “A spokesman for Jerry Brown stated that they’re going to look at the tapes, they’re going to follow the facts without fear or favor, and they’re going to see where it takes them.”
The brand new audio tape floating around the internet and posted on BigGovernment.com, has ACORN’s San Diego Director Lagstein explaining to group of trusted friends at a Democratic Club meeting in El Cajon, that all the communications he is having with the AG’s office have been positive and it will be the two videographers who will be in trouble, not ACORN.
“The Republican Party is trying to create a new scandal out of nothing. I asserted my belief that the investigation will find fault with the videographers and not with ACORN because no one at our ACORN office broke the law and the videographers did,” Lagstein said.
In a phone interview Lagstein explained, “Our employee was guilty of bad judgment and he was terminated. There is no story here. The San Diego Republican party is trying to play gotcha politics, nothing more.”
Whether the tapes are authentic or not only those involved will know, but one thing is certain, ACORN needed another scandal like they needed another bad employee.
On the tape, Mr. Lagstein asserts that he has been in contact with the Attorney General’s office and suggests that they have been assured that “the fault will be found with the people that did the video – not ACORN.” Lagstein is also heard claiming that a serious investigation is “completely not what’s happening.” In words and in tone, Lagstein appears to suggest that Attorney General Brown would turn a blind eye to ACORN’s alleged misdeeds and focus instead on the actions of the individuals who uncovered those misdeeds, according to Krvaric.
“Californians are entitled to know that their Attorney General is conducting an honest, thorough, and unprejudiced inquiry into the very serious allegations of misconduct by ACORN, and that the target of the inquiry is fully cooperating with the investigation – not colluding with the AG’s office to stymie it,” Krvaric explained.
In another ACORN story, the battered organization has put together a lawsuit and will sue the federal government for halting funding at the height of the company hoopla. The group contends that Congress and the federal government have tarnished their fundraising abilities.
To hear the audio tapes; http://biggovernment.com/2009/11/10/exclusive-audio-from-acorn-claims-jerry-brown-will-whitewash-investigation/
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
San Diego ACORN office is on the receiving end of a protest
A group of 30 protesters stood outside a San Diego ACORN office, alerting passerby’s to their discontent with the community organization groups venture into criminal activity.
Since the BigGovernment.com tapes were released a week ago, San Diego Association of Community Organization Reform Now (ACORN) office has been targeted by the County Board of Supervisors, Governor Schwarzenegger and now county taxpayers.
“We have to continue to keep the pressure on this government and stop the corruption before it’s too late,” said protest organizer Lindy Reedy.
The peaceful protest was not welcome by all. Employees of ACORN called the police. “Yeah, four cop cars showed up, asked us if we were going to stay on the sidewalk and not cause any trouble and we said, yes,” Reedy said. “I think they were on our side. They were super nice and let us carry on with our protest.”
The group of concerned taxpayers also decided to make up their own chant about ACORN, playing off the Obama sing along the school children in New Jersey sang.
“Mmm-mmm-mmm, ACORN really sucks, mmm-mmm-mmm they’re stealing all our bucks, mmm-mmm-mmm, Acorn’s committing crime, mmm-mmm-mmm not on our dime,” is how the little ditty played.
The group declared the afternoon protest a success as 60 percent of the cars honked and they only got the finger once. “A good day indeed,” Reedy smiled.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
San Diego ratchets up the heat on ACORN
Not waiting for President Obama’s signature on any legislation, the San Diego Board of Supervisors announced a joint investigation into Association of Community Organization of Reform Now (ACORN).
This investigation will center on voter registration fraud and why the state of California has failed to acknowledge San Diego’s Voter registrar request to look into 76 allegedly fraudulent voter cards.
Nearly a year ago, Deborah Seiler, San Diego’s Voter Registrar sent the California’s Secretary of State a request regarding possible voter fraud. That request has gone un-noticed by Secretary of State, Debra Bowen in Sacramento.
Since the release of video tapes by BigGovernment.com of ACORN employees in San Diego being complicit with illegal activity including smuggling 13-year-old girls into California to set up a brothel, County Supervisor Bill Horn demanded some answers. “We need to make sure they (ACORN) aren’t trying to skirt the law,” he said.
In a unanimous vote by the supervisors, the county has effectively set up an investigation of ACORN with the District Attorney’s and Attorney General’s offices. Horn expects full prosecution of anyone found guilty of breaking the law.
The dog-and-pony media show that ensued after the meeting was touching, as county elected officials wanted to be the first to let voters know they were looking into ACORN. What remains to be seen is if anything will be done a month from now.
California State Assemblyman, Martin Garrick-R 74th district said he intends to get to the bottom of this criminal organization. “I’m on the phone today to get a response from the Secretary of State. I want to know why it’s been about a year and nothing has been done about this fraud?”
In addition Garrick said his office would be “following the money to find out what, if any, money has been given to ACORN and how it was spent.”
However, Horn contends he “will turn up the heat on the investigation to get more done.”
Again, elected officials used this as an opportunity to underscore the need for California to have a voter identification card. “You need identification to cash a check or rent a video,” Horn said.
During the 2008 election cycle the San Diego Voter Registrars office had disposed of more than 4,000 fraudulent registration cards from ACORN leaving 76 to question.
During the weekly meeting there was some discrepancy as to whether ACORN was still operating in the county. It was stated that they have been cut from the voter registration process, but they still have an office open in National City.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m9d19-ACORN-has-it-all-sleaze-sex-and-BigGovernmentcom-is-not-done
ACORN has it all sleaze, sex and BigGovernment.com is not done
The tip of the iceberg reared its ugly head this week and a couple of 20 something’s took down an entire ACORN organization something Fox News Channel was unable to do.
Legislation sponsored by House Republican Darrell Issa-Calif, found strong bi-partisan support 345-75. All the decent came from Democrats who remain slow to see the Association of Community Organization for Reform Now’s vapid corruption.
One of those voting to keep funding the corrupt 501c ACORN outfit was Rep Bob Filner-D who resides in the district of the latest video tape-San Diego.
The bill that passed will simply de-fund ACORN and stop anymore money headed to the organization to be withheld- like the $8.5 billion in the stimulus funds.
Not waiting for the federal government some state governors have already taken action to start individual investigations. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger-R in one of those taking action.
Governor Bobby Jindal-R LA has issued an executive order halting all state funds to any ACORN organizations. The agreement also precludes any state agency from entering into any contracts with ACORN.
“ACORN’s resume reads more like a rap sheet,” says Rep Trent Franks-R AZ. “Big government equals big corruption.”
The past week has seen plenty of ACORN employees being fired, erroneous behavior exposed and silence from the White House.
Local California Congressional candidate, Mason Weaver says, “You can’t trust ACORN and they are unworthy of federal funds.”
He continues to say ACORN violated the law and has a history of deceit embedded in a culture of corruption.
The corrupt behavior on the tapes included tax evasion, prostitution, pimping, defrauding the government to receive federal money to set up brothels and the worst bringing in under-age illegal girls to perform sex acts.
Looming in Washington is the fact that both the House and the Senate have voted to stop ACORN from receiving funds, but the legislation has to be reconciled in conference before it can head to the Oval Office for a signature from Obama.
There has been no indication from the White House whether the President who has close ties to ACORN, would pen his signature.
To view the tapes; http://www.BigGovernment.com
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
Add human trafficking to the job description of ACORN employees
Earth to ACORN, your criminal ways are about to come to an end. Even liberal California is looking into your illegal activity and the Terminator-Governor Schwarzenegger – is looking for answers.
In a letter to State Attorney General, Edmond Brown Jr. the Governor points out the allegedly illegal activity taking place at California Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) offices is cause for concern.
“Given this (recent news reports) I believe it is appropriate that your office launch a full investigation into ACORN’s activities in California,” Schwarzenegger’s letter read. “My administration stands ready to assist in any way necessary.”
While lawmakers at the state and national level consider what action to take against ACORN who currently receives federal tax dollars, ACORN officials say they will probe their own organization.
The question is, will this be a thorough house cleaning or will it simply be something ACORN board members say they are doing to get the media off their backs?
Bertha Lewis of ACORN says ardent Obama supporters like John Podesta, president of Centers for American Progress and Andrew Stern of the Service Employees International Union will work with ACORN. These aren’t the best choices to head an investigation as both endorse and assist with funding for ACORN.
White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs said at the daily press briefing; “I think everyone would agree that the administration takes accountability extremely seriously.”
The mindset of ACORN higher-ups is still looking to deflect attention from the serious allegations and sue the 25-year-old filmmaker James O’Keefe and 20-year-old Hannah Giles, who is just a journalism student.
The latest video in the series shows an ACORN employee offering to help the undercover pimp and prostitute smuggle in 12-13-year-old under-age girls from Mexico. The employee even takes it a step further and tells the couple he has contacts that can get them through the Tijuana/San Diego border without incident.
As far as the tapes go, BigGovernment.com states this will be the last tape released for the time being, but they clearly allude to the fact they have more ACORN tapes in the hopper.
According to the BigGovernment.com website, the couple did not get kicked out of any ACORN offices as some in the left-learning media floated. In fact, the two undercover journalists were surprised they did not get arrested by police.
As a result of the news coverage the Federal Census Bureau has pulled back from ACORN and claims they will not let the community organizing outfit conduct U.S. Census population counting.
“I think the Census Bureau evaluated and determined that this group could not meet the bureau’s goal of achieving a fair and accurate count in 2010,” Gibbs said.
The federal government has also cut funds to ACORN pending an investigation. Some still remain skeptical. Michelle Malkin reports, “It’s a systematic problem, ACORN just throws its employees under the bus.”
She encourages reporters to continue their investigations into the left-wing mortgage and counseling scam organization.
This is a point that San Diego Congressman Duncan Hunter-R Calif. agrees with. “It is outrageous that ACORN still receives taxpayer funding following repeated revelations of unethical behavior.”
“ACORN should not only be investigated for what is apparently a consistent pattern of misconduct, but it should also not receive another penny of taxpayer support,” he said.
Congressman Hunter is a cosponsor of H.R. 3571, legislation that would deny federal funding for ACORN.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
ACORNs keep falling, community organizing under the microscope, kind of
Count them- four tapes, four different cities and four different employees have been fired. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has lost all credibility and excuses are quickly running out.
To be fair, the undercover reporters did try this at other ACORN offices and were turned away, but to date four ACORN outfits didn’t turn these potential clients out on their butts or call the police.
The time has come for the President to cut his ties to yet another organization/close associate. It’s taken four tapes to prove that ACORN has a trouble record when it comes to hiring community organizers. The group has already received $53 million of taxpayer money.
ACORN is being investigated for voter registration fraud in 14 states and is seen on tape endorsing brothels, tax evasion and under-age sex slaves. Yet the response from the left and ACORN themselves is ‘Fox news made this up, the tapes were doctored, racist and this is nothing more than a smear campaign against the poor. Really? That’s the best you’ve got?
Allegations leveled against ACORN run the gamut; tax evasion, prostitution, pimping, brothels, illegal human trafficking and the worst – under-age sex slaves.
How can employees not bat an eyelash at the possibility of bringing in 12-14-year-old girls from El Salvador to be used as sex slaves? Has the morality of this country sunk so low that we care so little of young girls?
At least the U.S. Senate has weighed in and with a vote of 83-7 to block future funds set aside for ACORN in the amount of $1.6 million. The money was earmarked for the Federal Housing Department that assists low-income people obtain loan and tax advice.
Employees of the organization are on tape telling undercover reporters how to skirt tax law and claim under-age sex slaves as dependents on their tax returns. Where are the women advocacy groups? Where’s the tax man?
Congress is currently drawing up papers to sanction Congressman Joe Wilson-R N.C. for a ‘you lie’ comment blurted out at the President’s joint session of Congress speech. A speech some question was warranted in the first place, unless the President is calling for war on the health care issue.
Who exactly is standing up for women and under-age girls? Although this was the work of undercover journalists, this really happens. Human trafficking is taking place at our southern borders all the time.
It’s time for American to stand up to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and say enough! It’s time to get a spine and stand up for the little person. It’s time to say we are not going to take this anymore. It’s time to vote the enablers out of office.
It’s time for a contract with the American people and this time we mean it.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
ACORN hands out tax evasion and under-age sex business advice
As news broke today about the Association of Community Organization Reform Now (ACORN) offering tax and loan advice to an alleged self-admitted pimp and prostitute as to how to obtain a government loan for a brothel, the story fell on deaf ears with the main-stream media.
To top it off this undercover couple, a 20-year-old journalism student and filmmaker, James O’Keefe, stated they intended to bring under-age illegal El Salvadorians girls to perform sex tricks. The ACORN employees are allegedly shown on tape telling the couple to change the name of prostitution to performing arts in order to secure government funding and file tax returns.
ACORN is a federally-funded organization known to have ties with the Democrat party as well as President Obama. The dog and pony show was caught on tape at a Baltimore, Maryland ACORN office. To view the interview go to; BigGovernment.com
Just when you think it couldn’t get worse, the ACORN employees are caught on tape listening to the undercover pimp say; “These girls are like 14, how can we trust them?”
The ever so helpful ACORN representative dutifully answers, “Just be very, very careful. Whatever you do, always keep your eyes in the back of your head.”
The employees are also on tape encouraging the ‘pimp’ to be careful and train the girls to keep their mouths shut.
In a statement from ACORN, Scott Levenson said, “The portrayal is false and defamatory and an attempt at gotcha journalism. This film crew tried to pull this sham at other offices and failed. ACORN wants to see the video before commenting further.”
Also, the Baltimore ACORN office fired the two employees shown on the tape and noted these workers didn’t share the ACORN philosophy.
This would seem fair, but currently the group is embroiled is a number of fraud cases regarding voter registration cases throughout the country. This is hardly a stellar record for a government-funded organization that claims once again to be the victim.
There have been several attempts to investigate the organization – all have failed. Currently Congressman Darrell Issa-R Calif. and Ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has put forth the latest report.
The report contends and “presents evidence that ACORN has evaded taxes, obstructed justice, engaged in racketeering and created a conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
This should be of concern to the American taxpayer because ACORN is eligible to get $8 billion in federal stimulus money.
Issa points out that “This report is a comprehensive and substantive examination of an organization that has operated in secrecy and outside the law.”
“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,” Issa says in a statement. To read the entire report; Isaa report
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
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