How ACORN Hides Behind Fake Names

Many states have ways to look up the businesses, organizations and people with whom the state does business. Illinois has such a service on the Secretary of State's website.

In Illinois there is a way to search the folks the state does business with on a page titled Corporate/LLC Search / Certificate of Good Standing. There you can input the name of a corporation or LLC and find out the address of its offices, its registered manager's name, etc.

Sadly, this feature is not easy to use. The problem is you have to know the actual name of the corporation you are looking for. Of course, if you don't really know what you are looking for you just cannot find anything useful.

The problem with the Illinois search system is that groups like ACORN register hundreds of different shell corporations to hide behind. They register them to their workers and their directors and then they offer them to government as a vendor or organization for the state's use. Naturally, state funds flow like water into ACORN's coffers as a result.

Other states have easier ways to search their state records. In the state of Louisiana, for instance, one can search by a person's name. On the Louisiana site you are not limited to the name of the corporation like you are in Illinois so it is a bit easier to find vendors and corporations that are approved to work with the state. (Louisiana mainpage, or go to the search only page)....

Louisiana List (all registered to New Orleans):

RATHKE, STEPHEN WADE
Agent of “UNITED LABOR ORGANIZATIONS”
President of “TEXAS UNITED CITY-COUNTY EMPLOYEES, INC.”
President of “BALTIMORE ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
President of “WORKING FAMILIES ASSOCIATION, INC.”
Member of “COALITION FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN , L.L.C.”
President of “CHIEF ORGANIZER FUND, INC.”
Director of “CHIEF ORGANIZER FUND, INC.”
President of “ACORN INTERNATIONAL, INC.”
President of “WAL-MART ALLIANCE FOR REFORM NOW, INC.”
President of “AFFILIATED MEDIA FOUNDATION MOVEMENT, INC.”
Director of “UNITED LABOR ORGANIZATIONS”
Vice-President of “METRO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, INC.”
Affiliated with “ELYSIAN FIELDS PARTNERSHIP”
Director of “PARENT TEACHER GROUP OF CHINCHUBA SCHOOL, INC.”
President of “GREENWELL SPRINGS CORPORATION”
President of “BROAD STREET CORPORATION, INC.”
President of “SIXTH AVENUE CORPORATION”
President of “FIFTEENTH STREET CORPORATION”
Director of “FIFTEENTH STREET CORPORATION”
President of “ACORN BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION, INC.”
President of “ACORN FUND, INC.”
President of “HOUSTON ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
Director of “HOUSTON ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
Director of “AUSTIN ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
Treasurer of “AUSTIN ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
President of “MONTANA RADIO NETWORK, INC.”
Director of “MONTANA RADIO NETWORK, INC.”
President of “PHOENIX ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC.”
Agent of “PARENT TEACHER GROUP OF CHINCHUBA SCHOOL, INC.”

RATHKE, DALE
Treasurer of “ACORN MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, INC.”
Secretary/Treasurer of “METRO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, INC.”
Affiliated with “ELYSIAN FIELDS PARTNERSHIP”
Director of “ COMMUNITY HOUSING ORGANIZATION, INC.”
Secretary of “ASSOCIATED REGIONAL MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS, INC.”
Secretary/Treasurer of “SIXTH AVENUE CORPORATION”
Secretary of “MASSACHUSETTS ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION”
Director of “CRESCENT CITY BROADCASTING CORPORATION”
Treasurer of “CRESCENT CITY BROADCASTING CORPORATION”
Secretary of “SHREVEPORT COMMUNITY TELEVISION, INC.”
Secretary of “LOUISIANA ACORN FAIR HOUSING, INC.”
Agent of “MASSACHUSETTS ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION”

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