ACORN’s Own Lawyer Says Improper Use of Funds
Same Cozy Relationship Exists with Government Funded Affiliates: Group Should Be Investigated
www.consumersrightsleague.org
ACORN’s Own Lawyer Says Improper Use of Funds
Same Cozy Relationship Exists with Government Funded Affiliates: Group Should Be Investigated
Washington, Oct 23 -
James Terry, Chief Public Advocate for the Consumers Rights League (CRL), today issued the following statement calling for authorities to heed the calls of Members of Congress and now ACORN’s own lawyer to look into the illegal use of taxpayer dollars to fund political activity. CRL also released the following chart showing the illegal flow of public money to advance ACORN and its affiliates’ political goals:
James Terry, Chief Public Advocate, Consumers Rights League:
“First came the series of whistleblower documents detailing the potential illegal activity at ACORN. Voter fraud, embezzlement and now ACORN’s own lawyer has raised troubling questions about the organization’s illegal use of public money for political purposes. This independent audit confirms what we’ve been saying all along: now when will it be enough to investigate?
“ACORN has, over the years, been able to get away with illegal coordination due to convoluted, Enron-style accounting but this must stop. It appears that this same cozy, indistinguishable relationship exists between ACORN and AHC —an organization that takes 40% of its budget from taxpayers.”
“Congress must cut off funds, investigate and prosecute those who are found to be willfully using taxpayer funds to support fraudulent political operations and put in place transparency, reporting requirements and firewall requirements to prevent future abuses.”
According to today’s New York Times:
“An internal report by a lawyer for the community organizing group Acorn raises questions about whether the web of relationships among its 174 affiliates may have led to violations of federal laws.”
“The June 18 report, written by Elizabeth Kingsley, a Washington lawyer, spells out her concerns about potentially improper use of charitable dollars for political purposes; money transfers among the affiliates; and potential conflicts created by employees working for multiple affiliates, among other things. It also offers a different account of the embezzlement of almost $1 million by the brother of Acorn’s founder, Wade Rathke, than the one the organization gave in July, when word of the theft became public.”
About The Consumers Rights League:
The Consumers Rights League is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization dedicated to protecting consumer choice and access to the marketplace. Through investigative analysis, CRL produces quality research that thoroughly documents the real-world choices and challenges consumers face and reports on the benefits enjoyed by an overwhelming majority of consumers. Learn more about CRL's mission at www.consumersrightsleague.org.