Posted on 09/15/2009 8:28:22 AM PDT by elizabethgrace
September 15, 2009
Washington, D.C. -
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), ranking Republican on the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today wrote to committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General, Kenneth Donohue, calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into the activities of the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).
Shelby’s call for an investigation follows recent news reports surrounding the arrest of individuals in Florida for falsifying voter applications while employed by ACORN leading up to the 2008 elections, as well as video of employees in multiple ACORN offices offering to falsify tax documents and to aid in obtaining a mortgage for individuals purported to be engaged in prostitution and employing underage illegal immigrants.
Shelby’s announcement also comes on the heels of overwhelming Senate approval of a measure prohibiting taxpayer funding for ACORN under the Treasury, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. The measure, which passed by staggering 83-7 margin, was supported by Banking Committee Chairman, Christopher Dodd.
“Last night’s vote served as a resounding rebuke on behalf of American taxpayers regarding the activities of ACORN,” said Shelby. “While this vote is important, it is limited in scope and we must know more. It is imperative that we proceed immediately to investigate what appears to be ACORN’s stunning disregard for the law and abuse of taxpayer funds. Such an investigation would serve as the basis for determining not only whether ACORN is worthy of receiving other federal funds this year, but ever again.”
The recent reports add to a litany of reported incidences over several years within the organization, which has for decades received federal funds, including millions under the jurisdiction of the Senate Banking Committee. ACORN is now eligible for additional taxpayer money under the economic stimulus legislation enacted earlier this year.
The full text of the letters is below.
September 15, 2009
Senator Christopher J. Dodd Chairman U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs 534 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Dodd:
I write to you today to request that you launch an immediate and thorough investigation into the activities of the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Specifically, this committee needs to determine if ACORN is acting legally and ethically in the expenditure of taxpayer dollars and whether the organization should continue to be eligible to receive these funds.
In recent days, numerous news reports have surfaced surrounding: 1) the arrest of individuals in Florida for falsifying voter applications while employed by ACORN, leading up to the 2008 elections; and 2) video of employees in ACORN offices of Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, New York, offering to falsify tax documents and to aid in obtaining a mortgage for individuals purporting to be engaged in prostitution and employing underage illegal immigrants.
These scandals add to numerous other reported incidences within the organization over many years including: embezzlement of nearly one million dollars by the brother of the organization’s founder; charges of additional voter registration fraud in other states; and the stripping of federal grants following findings that ACORN used federal money to promote legislation.
ACORN has been receiving federal money for decades including millions under the jurisdiction of the Senate Banking Committee and is eligible for additional money now as a result of the stimulus legislation enacted earlier this year. As such, it is vital that the committee undertake a prompt review of the activities of this organization.
I look forward to working with you to ensure the American taxpayer’s money is being spent wisely and legally.
Sincerely, Richard Shelby
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September 15, 2009
The Honorable Kenneth M. Donohue Inspector General U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General 451 7th Street S.W. Washington, DC 20410
Dear Mr. Inspector General,
I write to you today to request that you launch an immediate and thorough investigation into the activities of the Association for Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Specifically, I ask that you investigate whether ACORN is acting legally in the expenditure funding it has received from HUD and whether it is maintaining ethical standards throughout the entire organization to determine whether it should maintain its eligibility for these funds.
In recent days, numerous news reports have surfaced surrounding: 1) the arrest of individuals in Florida for falsifying voter applications while employed by ACORN, leading up to the 2008 elections; and 2) video of employees in ACORN offices of Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, New York, offering to falsify tax documents and aid in obtaining a mortgage for individuals purporting to be engaged in prostitution and employing underage illegal immigrants.
These scandals add to numerous other reported issues within the organization over many years including: embezzlement of nearly one million dollars by the brother of the organization’s founder; charges of additional voter registration fraud in other states; and the stripping of federal grants following findings that ACORN used federal money to promote legislation.
ACORN has been receiving federal money for decades including millions from HUD. Furthermore, ACORN is eligible for additional money as a result of the stimulus legislation enacted earlier this year. As such, it is vital that you undertake a prompt review of the activities of this organization.
I look forward to working with you to ensure the American taxpayer’s money is being spent wisely and legally.
Sincerely,
Richard Shelby
ACORN must be AUDITED in order to find all the subsidiaries and then their and ACORN’s employees, directors and staffs must be prosecuted for every broken law.
One guy at the rally had a really neat home made tee shirt. It was the ACORN logo that morphed three times into the hammer and sickle.
Can anyone create that for us to use?
About time. I wrote him last week even before the ACORN videos came about over healthcare and the 9/12.
You’re so right! A thorough audit.
Does anyione really think that Dodd would actually do anything other than protevct the criminals of ACORN?
Dodd is every bit as dirty as they are.
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That may be the case, however, the more they cover for and cover up, the less political capital (they’re already really low) they’ll have.
Death by a thousand cuts. These are some pretty big cuts that they’re having to try to stop the bleeding on.
America is now a communists Country
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Basically America is still a center right country that took a chance (many in the middle) on a far left senator that charmed them. Most Americans don’t agree with this communist rabble.
ACORN must be AUDITED in order to find all the subsidiaries and then their and ACORN’s employees, directors and staffs must be prosecuted for every broken law.
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IMAGINE what will be uncovered in this rotten organization? They have proven to be utterly unaccountable and unreformable...they blame everyone but themselves...they are the poster org for the victim mentality.
Too late; they already changed their name:
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They definitely need to include all aliases, iterations and machinations of this organization.
Kinda wonder if they think this could lead back to President Obama...in a real BAD way.
Thus they vote in mass to defund ACORN...and sweep it under the rug quickly.
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Drip, drip, drip, gush, gush...this keeps on comin’ - is this bammy’s and the dims’ Watergate?
But, in pulling funding, their access to the census, etc,
we can perhaps keep the next two elections from being stolen, and THEN perhaps, do a real investigation.
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That is a HUGELY important point MrB. If this means the elections can be fair, we’ve won an absolutely critical victory. Keep it up all!!
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