Posted on 09/18/2009 12:18:41 AM PDT by South40
NATIONAL CITY - Local ACORN officials reversed an earlier decision Thursday afternoon and fired a community organizer who was caught on video providing advice about human smuggling to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute.
In an afternoon press conference, Lagstein said he believed his employee, Juan Carlos Vera, did his best to deal with a challenging situation, and would not be disciplined.
But two hours later, Lagstein stated he had reevaluated the videos posted online in which Vera was secretly filmed answering questions about smuggling people across the Tijuana border. Lagstein said in his earlier evaluation, he had only found a short, 52-second video, and not a longer seven-minute video. After consulting with supervisors and state ACORN officials, he decided Vera had contradicted his earlier statements and his conduct was "unacceptable."
The recording showed Vera appearing to suggest he could help get people across the border and asking the woman posing as a prostitute how much her services cost.
At the news conference, Lagstein said the organization is "furious" that hidden cameras filmed employees of the community-organizing group, and he called such actions "immoral if not illegal."
He also added that "we accept the imperfections that it exposed."
Vera was at the news conference and he gave an emotional recounting of what happened. He broke into tears at least twice.
He said that English isn't his first language and that he was confused about what was going on. He said he was just trying to help.
Lagstein said at the news conference that Vera ended up contacting a family member who works for police, and he said that shows that Vera knew what was happening was wrong.
Lagstein also said that he believes the timing was politically motivated, as it coincided with the day that President Obama gave a speech on health-care reform.
Bummer yaks about that almost every single day.
All this spinning is making me dizzy!
Sounds like he's setting the groundwork for a wrongful termination suit. Wouldn't that be a hoot.
Here’s a fellow who is supposed to be serving English speakers.
Lagstein said at the news conference that Vera ended up contacting a family member who works for police, and he said that shows that Vera knew what was happening was wrong.
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Does that family member who works for the police also works with smuggling underage El Salvadoran girls into the US of A? Hmmmmm, just asking......
Right?
/s
He was probably contacting the family member to tell them about the new money making opportunity. Gotta get ready to move those underage girls ya know.
“At the news conference, Lagstein said the organization is “furious” that hidden cameras filmed employees of the community-organizing group, and he called such actions “immoral if not illegal.””
So uncovering their crimes is immoral? This guy is probably a lawyer.
Yeah, how dare these intrusive kids shed light on the intiimate dealings of a tax-exempt organization that exists on a steady diet of taxpayer dollars.
What I wanna know, is why the cloest FBI field office didn’t send some agents out imediately, to scoop this self admitted child slave smuggler up, within hours of the videos release?
Since there are over 300 entities that make up ACORN he is well qualified to gain employment in an affiliate. ACORN is a shell game.
I wondered why the Congressional Democrats were so quick to jump off the funding band wagon; they’ll just steer the money to an “affiliate.” Like fighting a jellyfish.
That would certainly be ironic (a wrongful termination suit from an employer that promotes diversity).
Smuggler probably is an illegal alien. Anyone checking?
FReep mail me if you want on/off the list.
Is this the same guy who propositioned Hannah?
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