The Acorn/Obama Rhetoric WASHINGTON, Oct. 4
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Obama campaign tries to downplay 'supposed' connections between their
candidate and ACORN:
"Barack Obama Never Organized With ACORN" (Barack Obama For President
Website, http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor, Accessed 10/4/08)
"[L]ies About His Supposed Connection To ACORN." (Barack Obama For
President Website, http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor, Accessed
10/4/08)
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )
THE ACORN/OBAMA RECORD
Obama Formerly Represented ACORN, Taught Classes For Future Leaders Of
ACORN, And They Endorsed His 2008 Presidential Campaign:
Obama Directed Project Vote And Later Taught Classes For "Future Leaders
Identified By ACORN And The Centers For New Horizons." "He [Obama] says he is
drawn to politics, despite its superficialities, as a means to advance his
real passion and calling: community organization. ... In 1992 Obama took
time off to direct Project Vote, the most successful grass-roots voter-
registration campaign in recent city history. Credited with helping elect
Carol Moseley-Braun to the U.S. Senate, the registration drive, aimed
primarily at African-Americans, added an estimated 125,000 voters to the voter
rolls -- even more than were registered during Harold Washington's mayoral
campaigns. 'It's a power thing,' said the brochures and radio commercials.
... Obama continues his organizing work largely through classes for future
leaders identified by ACORN and the Centers for New Horizons on the south
side." (Hank De Zutter, Op-Ed, "What Makes Obama Run?" ChicagoReader, 12/8/95)
Obama Was Part Of Team Of Lawyers Who Represented ACORN In A Suit Against
The State Of Illinois. "Obama was part of a team of attorneys who represented
the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in a lawsuit
against the state of Illinois in 1995 for failing to implement a federal law
designed to make it easier for the poor and others to register as voters."
(Mike Robinson, "Obama Got Start In Civil Rights Practice," The Associated
Press, 2/20/07)
ACORN's Political Action Committee Endorsed Obama. "[A]CORN's political
action committee endorsed Barack Obama for President. ... The endorsement
reflects a belief that Obama -- who worked as a community organizer on the
South Side of Chicago -- understands that change must come from the ground-up,
as part of a working coalition, rather than from position papers." (Katrina
Vanden Heuvel, Op-Ed, "ACORN: Obama Gets It," The Nation, 2/23/08)
Obama's Campaign Paid Over $800,000 To ACORN For Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts,
But "Mistakenly Misrepresented" Their Work To The FEC:
Obama's Campaign "Paid More Than $800,000" To ACORN For Get-Out-The Vote
Efforts; The Campaign Originally "Misrepresented" The Group's Work To The FEC.
"U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an
offshoot of the liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
for services the Democrat's campaign says it mistakenly misrepresented in
federal reports. An Obama spokesman said Federal Election Commission reports
would be amended to show Citizens Services Inc. -- a subsidiary of ACORN --
worked in 'get-out-the-vote' projects, instead of activities such as polling,
advance work and staging major events as stated in FEC finance reports filed
during the primary." (David M. Brown, "Obama To Amend Report On $800,000 In
Spending," Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/22/08)
While Serving On The Board Of Directors Of The Woods Fund, ACORN Received
Thousands Of Dollars Of Grants From The Organization:
The Chicago ACORN Received Grants Of $45,000 (2000), $30,000 (2001),
$45,000 (2001), $30,000 (2002), And $40,000 (2002) From The Woods Fund.
(Donors Forum Website, ifs.donorsforum.org, Accessed 6/10/08)
-- NOTE: From 1993 To 2002, Barack Obama Served On The Board Of Directors
For The Woods Fund. (Tim Novak and Fran Spielman, "Obama Helped Ex-Boss
Get $1 Mil. From Charity," Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/07)
WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE?
James Terry, The Chief Public Advocate Of The Consumers Rights League,
Testified About ACORN's Pattern Of Fraud Before The Joint Oversight Committee:
The Chief Public Advocate Of The Consumers Rights League, James Terry,
Testified Today In Congress About How "ACORN's Pattern Of Fraud Can No Longer
Be Dismissed As A Series Of Unfortunate Events." "James Terry, Chief Public
Advocate for the Consumers Rights League, today testified at a joint House
Administration and House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on 'Federal,
State and Local Efforts to Prepare for the General 2008 Election,' where he
highlighted 'corruption at every level of ACORN including embezzlement, cover-
ups, misuse of taxpayer funds and voter fraud.' An excerpt of his testimony
follows: James Terry, Chief Public Advocate, Consumers Rights League: 'ACORN
routinely says it will clean up its act. Yet, given its decade-long history of
voter fraud, embezzlement, and misuses of taxpayer funds, ACORN's pattern of
fraud can no longer be dismissed as a series of 'unfortunate events.'" ("CRL
Testimony On ACORN's Voter Fraud," The Wall Street Journal, 9/25/08)
-- Terry Stated "It Is Fair To Question How Many Fraudulent Registrations"
Submitted By ACORN May "Lead To Fraudulent Votes," And Also Pointed Out
That ACORN May Be "Willing To Undertake" Other Actions "To Influence
The Election." James Terry: "Furthermore, as this mega organization
with a decades long history of violating the law is turned to get out
the vote efforts, we believe it is fair to question how many fraudulent
registrations may lead to fraudulent votes or what other activities
they are willing to undertake to influence the election." ("CRL
Testimony On ACORN's Voter Fraud," The Wall Street Journal, 9/25/08)
Some Of The Highlights Of ACORN Suspicious Activity In 2008:
Many Voter Applications, Submitted By ACORN, Appear To Be Fraudulent And
Are Being Withheld By Seminole County's Elections Supervisor Until They Are
Proven Legitimate. "Local elections officials are looking into potential
election fraud and some of the information is pointing to a Democratic-leaning
voter's group. ACORN ... has been registering thousands of new voters for
this year's election, but in Seminole County, some voter applications are
being withheld until it's proven they're legitimate. ... Seminole County's
elections supervisor is holding up dozens of voter registration applications
because they appear to be fraudulent: wrong addresses, bad signatures and
more. ... Many of the applications with suspect information were turned-in
by the activist group ACORN." ("Elections Officials Look Into Voter Fraud,"
WESH Orlando, 9/23/08)
"ACORN Admits That They Had A Case Of Voter Fraud Happen This Week In
Seminole County," Florida. "ACORN admits that they had a case of voter fraud
happen this week in Seminole County, but say they have since fired that
employee and the faulty registration has been thrown out." (Susie Hassan,
"ACORN Blamed For Florida Voter Fraud," WZVN-HD ABC News, 9/25/08)
In Clark County, Nevada, ACORN Allegedly Submits 2,000 To 3,000 Fraudulent
Applications Each Week. "ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now, claims to have collected 60,000 new voter
registrations in Clark County since February. The group, which works to
promote the interests of lower-income people, is aiming for 100,000 by Labor
Day. ... The group has drawn accusations of voter fraud and criminal
investigations in several states. Last year, authorities in Washington state
brought felony charges against ACORN workers for filing false voter
registrations. Some ACORN workers pleaded guilty and went to jail, while the
organization paid $25,000 and agreed to have its registration efforts
monitored in a settlement with Washington state authorities. [Clark County
Registrar of Voters Larry] Lomax said while he supports the goal of getting
more people registered to vote, he sees rampant fraud in the 2,000 to 3,000
registrations ACORN turns in every week." (Molly Ball, "New Voter Sign-Ups
Up," Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/7/08)
Nevada State Officials Are Teaming With Federal Authorities To Investigate
Voter Fraud, Particularly Applications Submitted By ACORN. "Nevada state and
federal authorities on Thursday announced the formation of a task force that
will aggressively pursue allegations of election fraud. The secretary of
state, attorney general, U.S. attorney's office and Federal Bureau of
Investigation plan to work together as the election approaches and on Election
Day to ensure a free and fair election in Nevada, where record turnout is
anticipated. 'This is part of an effort to work proactively,' Secretary of
State Ross Miller, the state's chief elections official, said of the combined
effort, which he said would 'ensure there is integrity in the system.' Miller
said investigators are already looking into allegations of fraud in voter
registration, though he declined to go into specifics of an investigation he
suggested was being handled by the FBI. Clark County officials have said they
suspect fraud is occurring in the thousands of voter registrations being
submitted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or
ACORN, which works to get low-income people to vote. ACORN, whose officials
have faced fraud charges in other states, says the group's workers are trained
to follow the law." (Molly Ball, "Election Fraud Task Force Formed," Las Vegas
Review-Journal, 8/1/08)
In New Mexico, Dona Ana County Officials "Received Complaints About
Misleading Voter Registration Activities." "The Dona Ana County Bureau of
Elections has received complaints about misleading voter-registration
activities and wants to make sure the public knows the truth about
registering. Elections Supervisor Lynn Ellins said in a news release from the
county that the 'most disturbing' complaint is from people who say they are
being told they must re-register to vote under a new law passed by the state
Legislature. 'This is simply not true,' Ellins said. 'Any voter who is
registered and in good standing has no obligation to re-register.'" (Heath
Haussamen, "Complaints In Dona Ana County," The New Mexico Independent,
6/11/08)
Dona Ana County Spokesman Jess Williams Said That ACORN Is Responsible For
Many Of The Complaints About The Voter Re-Registration Scheme. "County
spokesman Jess Williams said many of the complaints are about the Association
of Community Organizations for Reform, more commonly known as ACORN. The group
has been actively trying to register voters in Dona Ana County in recent
months. It has also received national attention in recent years for
allegations in other states of voter fraud and shoddy work ... " (Heath
Haussamen, "Complaints In Dona Ana County," The New Mexico Independent,
6/11/08)
In New Mexico, 1,100 Fraudulent Voter-Registration Cards Were Reported And
ACORN Acknowledges That Some May Have Come From Its Group. "Such is the
situation for Bernalillo County, which reported, the day before Obama's
Espanola rally, that it had received 1,100 fraudulent voter-registration
cards. While there is no information, yet, on where those cards came from,
Matthew Henderson, ACORN's New Mexico head organizer, acknowledges some could
have come from his group. ACORN, he says, has registered 75,000 New Mexicans
during this election cycle." (Mark Sanders, "Attempts To Rock The Vote, Rock
The Boat," Santa Fe Reporter, 9/24/08)
Ninety Voter Registration Forms That Included Social Security Numbers And
Dates Of Birth Were Stolen From ACORN's Las Cruces Office. "Ninety completed
voter-registration applications that included Social Security numbers and
dates of birth were stolen over the weekend from the Las Cruces office of an
independent voter-registration group. As a result, ACORN plans to send letters
to those whose applications were stolen to inform them of the situation."
(Heath Haussamen, "Completed Voter-Registration Forms Stolen From Group,"
"Heath Haussamen On New Mexico Politics" Blog, haussamen.blogspot.com,
6/24/08)
In North Carolina, Durham County's Elections Director, Mike Ashe, Has
Asked That Approximately 80 Voter Registration Forms Submitted by ACORN Be
Investigated For Suspicions Of Fraud. "A Durham official is asking state
elections administrators to check approximately 80 voter registration forms
for possible fraud. ... Mike Ashe, Durham County's elections director, said
the forms were among about 4,000 submitted to his office over the past four to
six weeks by a national left-wing group called Acorn ... Ashe's staff also
learned this week of irregularities with a handful of other registrations. It
was not clear who was responsible for these problems. ... 'This is serious,
obviously,' Ashe said." (Matthew E. Milliken, "Elections Chief Asks For Voter
Fraud Probe," The Herald [NC] Sun, 9/19/08)
In Cuyahoga County, OH, ACORN Is Under Investigation By Election Officials
Due To "Many Suspicious" Voter Registration Cards. "A national organization
that conducts voter registration drives for low-income people has curtailed
its push in Cuyahoga County after the Board of Elections accused its workers
of submitting fraudulent registration cards. The board is investigating the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Results of the inquiry
could be turned over to the county prosecutor. Board employees said ACORN
workers often handed in the same name on a number of voter registration cards,
but showing that person living at different addresses. Other times, cards had
the same name listed, but a different date of birth. Still another sign of
possible fraud showed a number of people living at an address that turned out
to be a restaurant. ... Board employees are unsure how many of the cards are
fraudulent. But the voter registration department received so many suspicious
cards that it began compiling a binder with evidence. The binder grew to be an
inch-thick." (Joe Guillen, "Cuyahoga Board Probes ACORN Voter Registration
Drive," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 8/27/08)
-- "'I'm Obviously Very Concerned,' Board Chairman Jeff Hastings said.
'This Goes To The Essence Of Our Democracy.'"(Joe Guillen, "Cuyahoga
Board Probes ACORN Voter Registration Drive," The [Cleveland, OH] Plain
Dealer, 8/27/08)
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Election Officials Accused ACORN "Of Filing
Fraudulent Voter Registrations" But The Group Blames The Post Office.
"Philadelphia elections officials are accusing the nonprofit advocacy group
'Acorn' of filing fraudulent voter registrations in advance of the April 22nd
Pennsylvania primary. Acorn, which advocates on behalf of low-income residents
in the city, has mounted a voter registration drive in the past few months.
But city election commissioners are complaining that many of the submitted
registrations appear to be faulty, and they have forwarded the matter to the
district attorney's office for further investigation. ... The city officials
say many of the addresses listed on the registrations are invalid, but Acorn
blames the post office for not adequately servicing low-income communities."
(Mike Dunn, "Phila. Probing Advocacy Group's Voter Registrations," KYW
Newsradio, www.kyw1060.com, 3/12/08)
One Pennsylvania ACORN Worker Is Facing "19 Counts Of Perjury, Making
False Statements, Forgery And Identity Theft" Related To Voter Registration
Forms. "A former temporary worker for a national community action group
recently questioned by Dauphin County investigators about bogus voter
registration forms is now a wanted man. Luis R. Torres-Serrano, 37, of the 200
block of South 15th Street, is accused by authorities of submitting more than
100 fraudulent voter registration forms he collected on behalf of the
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now to county election
officials. ... Torres-Serrano is charged with 19 counts of perjury, making
false statements, forgery and identity theft in connection with the voter
registration forms, authorities said." (Reggie Sheffield, "Former Temp Worker
Accused Of Bogus Voter Registrations,"[Harrisburg, PA] Patriot News, 7/24/08)
Milwaukee Election Officials Launched An Investigation Against ACORN For
"Making People Up Or Registering People That Were Still In Prison." "Criminal
investigations could be launched against at least six voter registration
workers who tried to add dead, imprisoned or imaginary people to the voter
rolls, according to the Milwaukee Election Commission and the organization
that employed them. Officials are reviewing some 200 to 300 fraudulent voter
registration cards, Sue Edman, the commission's executive director, said
Wednesday. ... In about 12 cases, deputy registrars paid by ACORN were
'making people up or registering people that were still in prison,' said
Carolyn Castore, ACORN's state political director. And in other cases, workers
used the same address for numerous voters or used driver's license numbers
that did not fit the voters' birth dates, Edman said. But most of the fraud
involved submitting duplicate cards for voters who were already registered,
and forging the voters' signatures, Castore said." (Larry Sandler, "Fake
Names Get Voter Registration Workers Investigated," Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, 8/7/08)
All Voter Fraud Instances Under Investigation By Milwaukee Officials Are
Linked To "Two Liberal Groups" - ACORN And The Community Voters Project.
"Milwaukee's election chief on Wednesday turned 32 more voter registration
workers in to the district attorney's office for possible prosecution, saying
they tried to submit falsified registration cards. That brings to 39 the
number of registration workers under scrutiny, and the number could grow,
Election Commission Executive Director Sue Edman said. An organization warned
the commission staff late Wednesday afternoon about some questionable cards in
the latest batch collected by its workers, Edman said. All of the workers
targeted for investigation were paid employees of two liberal groups running
voter registration drives, the Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now (ACORN) and the Community Voters Project." (Larry Sandler, "More
Voter Registration Workers Under Scrutiny," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
8/21/08)
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