ACORN IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT

John Fund at the Wall Street Journal on how ACORN helps set up a supposed brothel.

I thought I'd heard every possible charge about corruption at ACORN, a feisty, union-backed activist group that became infamous last year when it was investigated for voter registration fraud in 15 states. Just yesterday, 11 ACORN workers were accused by Florida prosecutors of falsifying information on some 900 voter registration forms.

But this morning brings a Fox News report that ACORN officials in Baltimore offered to help get a housing loan and falsify tax documents for a proposed house of prostitution that would employ underage girls from El Salvador. The episode was captured on tape by an undercover filmmaker, James O'Keefe, who wanted to see just how far ACORN would go. Watching the tape -- which can be seen at Biggovernment.com -- is a creepy experience. ACORN itself has told Fox News the episode represents "gotcha journalism" but wouldn't comment further until it sees the full tape.

In helping Mr. O'Keefe set up his supposed brothel, ACORN employees also invited him to attend an August conference the group was holding for prospective home-buyers. But it linked attendance to Mr. O'Keefe joining ACORN and paying $120 in annual dues: "We ask that you join ACORN." The problem is that such a request is illegal, since the ACORN housing conferences are underwritten by federal government grants. ACORN has a political arm, so insisting that attendees at its housing conferences join the group and pay dues is a no-no.

It was precisely that kind of activity that got ACORN in trouble during the Clinton administration. The Inspector General of AmeriCorps, the government's volunteer agency, accused the group of "using government resources to promote legislation." ACORN was stripped of its federal grant as a result.

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Read the whole thing. You can see the video online at Biggovernment.com
FoxNews story.

Officials with the controversial community organizing group ACORN were secretly videotaped offering to assist two individuals posing as a pimp and a prostitute, encouraging them to lie to the Internal Revenue Service and providing guidance on how to claim underage girls from South America as dependents.

"Train them to keep their mouth shut."
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UPDATE: (Sept 10) The community organizing group ACORN has fired two employees at its Baltimore office. - FoxNews

AP: (Sept 10) The nonprofit housing group ACORN has fired two employees at its Baltimore office who were seen on hidden-camera video giving advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman pretending to be a prostitute. Because "the employees did not meet ACORN's standards of professionalism." Oh, and it was attempt to smear ACORN and that undercover teams attempted similar stunts at three other ACORN offices.

Baltimore City: (Sept 10) " But these videos, if they're legit, kick matters up several notches. They also appear to demonstrate how the city's shadow economy works—through a weird mix of naivete and omerta."

Baltimore Sun: (Sept 10) "ACORN fires 2 workers.."
Maryland ACORN board member Margaret Williams says in a statement the employees "did not meet ACORN's standards of professionalism."

WBAL: (Sept 10) "The activist group ACORN has fired two employees of its Baltimore office who were seen on hidden-camera video giving advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute."

NO OTHER COVERAGE BY THE LAMEBRAIN MEDIA AT GOOGLE.

At YAHOO, these results:
Boston Globe carries AP story.

The Oklahoman ran the AP story.