Lewis greets NYC Mayor Bloomberg last May:
Posted on 09/16/2009 11:57:50 AM PDT by jazusamo
In the wake of a series of embarrassing hidden-camera exposes and mounting Congressional pressure to cut off its federal funding, ACORN, announced on Wednesday it would immediately stop accepting new clients at hundreds of its offices across the country.
Bertha Lewis, CEO of the embattled community organizing group, also said that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform would name an independent auditor and investigator to conduct a wide-ranging review of the organization.
“As a result of the indefensible action of a handful of our employees,” Lewis said in a statement, “I am, in consultation with ACORN’s Executive Committee, immediately ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until completion of an independent review.”
The drastic step effectively puts an end to ACORN’s extensive service programs for new clients, including counseling for low and middle-income homebuyers and tax preparation at its offices in 75 cities across the country. ACORN officials have also ordered its staff in those local branches to received additional training within 48 hours.
In recent days, Republican congressional leaders have led an effort to slash the funding ACORN receives from government agencies. On Tuesday House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other top Republicans called on President Barack Obama to use his executive authority to ban to all federal agencies from providing money to support ACORN’s programs. That move came on the heels of a Senate vote a day earlier to bar the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development from issuing any new federal grants to the organization.
The controversy surrounding ACORN escalated in the wake of the release of series of undercover videos that showed employees of the organization and an affiliate group providing advice on how to falsify tax forms and set-up a child prostitution business to two conservative activists dressed up as a prostitute and her pimp.
In her statement on Wednesday, Lewis said she was “deeply disturbed by what we’ve seen in some of these videos.” Four employees of ACORN and ACORN Housing Corporation who appear on the tapes have since been fired.
Lewis noted that she would be assisted by ACORN’s advisory council in choosing an outside auditor, who she said would be named no later than Sept. 18.
The advisory council includes John Podesta, head of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, Andrew Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
“ACORN has a long history of serving those who most need help, and giving voice to those who have been left behind.” Townsend said in a statement. “We will take the necessary steps to ensure that ACORN functions with the highest levels of ethical standards and competence.”
Lewis said that group was committed to implementing all the recommendations of the independent auditor.
But Michael Steel, a spokesman for Minority Leader Boehner, said the steps ACORN announced on Wednesday were “too little, too late.”
“Given that the latest embarrassing abuses occurred after this independent Advisory Council was established, I’d say ACORN has little — if any — credibility when it comes to policing itself,” Steel said.
SEIU = thugs
Van Jones seems to be between jobs right now. Maybe he can lend a hand in the independent investigation...reckon???
they want to name who investigates them?
they expect to retrain employees in 48 hours? across the nation?
They remain as obtuse,stupid and criminal as ever.
Who does she think she is kidding here? Let someone like Glenn Beck assign the auditing firm. Unbelievable that she would think that anything coming from the team of idiots she is confering with would make a difference....whomever they pick will be in their pocket...good grief.
There already is one... and his name is Glenn Beck.
but but but... are the tapes “doctored”, weren’t they just funnin’ the journalists and Beck?
Great line!
Additional training in spotting hidden microphones and cameras, no doubt.
Zulu tribal leaders summoned...
Absolutely! Glenn Beck has shown the light.
investigator to conduct a wide-ranging review of the organization.
Yep, it would be so wide ranging that nothing would be
found.
It’s time for an independant council and the RICO statutes
to come into play.
NO CHICKENS MISSING!!!!
Now that we’re clean, give us back our federal money and the census!!!
Of course they want to investigate themselves. Charlie Rangel gets to investigate himself so I'm sure that they figure it's OK for them too.
Don't worry, though, SEIU has oversight so what could possibly go wrong?
That should be easy to accomplish: "It is no longer ACORN policy to provide advice on how to falsify tax forms and set-up a child prostitution business, unless the pimp and prostitute in question are known to the ACORN representative, either from working side-by-side in the same establishment or from regular observation on community street corners. Further, we no longer support prostitution if the hookers are illegal aliens and under age; our support for brothels is limited to those that only violate one law or the other, not both."
That will make things so much better!
lol. They can start by finger printing the perps who apply and checking with local law enforcement, AMW and the FBI
They will hire the same guy that worked for Madoff, oh wait he’s in jail.
I know, the 4 they just fired, they look honest.
McCain and Graham, those two are too stupid to find anything.
Independent by behind! This organization needs to be abolished and all members monitored to see where they end up ... SEIU is next!
“I investigated myself and found that I am completely blameless. I’d like to thank myself, and state that I am ready to put this ugly incident behind me and move on.”
Lewis greets NYC Mayor Bloomberg last May:
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