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Census Severs Relationship With ACORN
September 11, 2009 7:02 PM
The Census Bureau late this afternoon “severed” its relationship with the non-profit housing and grassroots community organizing group ACORN for the 2010 Census.
ACORN – the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – bills itself as “the nation's largest community organization of low and moderate income families.”
Census Bureau spokesman Stephen Buckner said officials in the bureau, which is part of the Department of Commerce, had been concerned with news reports about ACORN for awhile and “had been monitoring them.”
Buckner said recent videotapes posted on BigGovernment.com and broadcast on Fox News -- showing a young man and young woman pretending to be a pimp and prostitute, declaring themselves such and apparently able to secure the help of ACORN employees in Washington D.C. , and Baltimore, in obtaining housing – was “the tipping point.”
It was “cumulative,” Buckner said, “but certainly the recent activity didn’t help.”
In a letter to ACORN President Maude Hurd, Census Bureau director Robert Groves wrote that, while “not decisive factors in this decision, recent events concerning several local offices of ACORN have added to the worsening negative perceptions of ACORN and its affiliation with our partnership efforts.”
Groves wrote that the Census Bureau no longer has “confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed” through ACORN’s many local offices.
“Their affiliation caused sufficient concern with the general public,” said Buckner, so that ACORN outreach on behalf of the Census would be “a distraction from our mission, and would maybe even be a discouragement” for participation.
ACORN encouraged some minority and poor populations to participate in the Census, Buckner said, telling them it was “important to participate in and safe to participate in.”
There’s a “correlation” between those who are poor and those “mistrustful of government,” he said. But he said the Census Bureau officials are confident they can reach those populations with their 80,000 other partners.
In a written statement, Alton Bennett, the president of ACORN housing, and Mike Shea, the executive director, said they "were appalled and angry to see the video of two Washington, D.C. employees offering advice on how to operate an illegal enterprise to keep it hidden from the government. While no transaction took place – no loan documents were signed or submitted, no bank loans were arranged, no new business was established – this is not how we behave. All ACORN Housing staff members undergo rigorous training and are expected to comply with high standards for ethical behavior and compliance with the law."
But that said, Bennett and Shea say the BigGovernment.com "video tape is slanted to misinform the public about ACORN Housing. The people who made this tape went to at least five other ACORN Housing offices where they were turned away or where ACORN Housing employees responded by calling the police. That is not mentioned on the tape – it is part of a long-term plan to smear ACORN Housing for political reasons and provide entertainment in the process. But that does not excuse the behavior of the employees. We have fired them and are initiating an internal review of practices and reminding all staff of their obligation to uphold the highest legal and ethical standards."
Rep. Charles Boustany, Jr., of Louisiana, the ranking Republican on the Oversight Subcommittee for the House Ways and Means Committee, called for a subcommittee hearing to "investigate ACORN’s activities in providing tax advice and tax preparation services, as well as whether ACORN has conducted activities inconsistent with the requirements for retaining tax-exempt status."
-jpt
*This post has been updated.
September 11, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (412)
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Anyone feel safe giving out their personal information to Acorn workers collecting for the Census? I do not feel safe giving them my information.
Posted by: oh boy | Sep 21, 2009 3:38:10 AM
Is it possible that ABC, NBC, and CBS already KNEW all about Acorn's internal corruption and have been sitting on the story? This would explain why they had to keep a low profile, and just hope the news would evaporate. I propose forming an 802.13c organization called "The Acorn Truthers" to further investigate this possible conspiracy.
Wait, someone's at the door...
Posted by: packet guy | Sep 16, 2009 1:11:36 PM
Wow! These folks have said it all; I was just checking to see if ABC was any less biased than NBC, CBS, and CNN--nope.
Posted by: WBN | Sep 16, 2009 10:32:33 AM
Has the Disney Corporation spilled over into ABC News business? There is more fantasy being reported on the "World News Now" than reality it seems. Charlie Gibson has no knowledge of the ACORN scandal? I'll bet he knows tons on Private Tillman though and why he hated the war. That should have been reserved for the History Channel. News is supposed to be about what is happening now, not trying to play up sales for somebody's book deal. ABC, you used to be a network with credibility, but not anymore. Now if I really want to know what is going on I tune into Fox News.
Posted by: Michael | Sep 16, 2009 10:04:45 AM
Why isn't ABC digging into this further? Isn't that what JOURNALISTS are supposed to do?
Posted by: annoyed | Sep 16, 2009 9:10:02 AM
No wonder John Stossel jumped ship.
I would be embarassed to be linked to ABC as well.
Posted by: Justin | Sep 16, 2009 9:00:52 AM
Charlie, I am willing to listen to you explaination of why you are not informed about current new stories, I am all ears............Would you like us to send you an update every morning on what is happening around the country and the world? You seem to be missing some important stories. There are lots of us Americans paying attention we would be very happy to keep you on top of current events that effect our tax dollars, our security and our health. Call me.
Posted by: wbart | Sep 16, 2009 8:55:57 AM
Hey Charlie what goes around comes around. You are looking pretty stupid right now!
I use to trust your reporting you lost me a while ago.
Posted by: wandab | Sep 16, 2009 8:49:52 AM
I cant understand your network not covering news that is so important. It must be true that you are all owend by the DEMS
Posted by: joseph conti | Sep 16, 2009 5:02:16 AM
What is the Bush Doctrine?
Posted by: Charle Gibson | Sep 16, 2009 3:02:53 AM
Ah, Gibson, remember how hard you worked last year to make Sarah Palin look stupid and incompetent? Well, you sure looked stupid and incompetent yesterday with your remarks. And, hey, you didn't even have to work at it. You are stupid and incompetent. Haven't watched ABC for almost a year now and never will. Well, maybe the night you are forced to declare that you are incompetent.
Posted by: C Welch | Sep 16, 2009 1:42:36 AM
I was a fan of ABC News for 20+ years. However the selective coverage based on political bias has turned me elsewhere to look for news. Why on earth did you sit on this story? Was it outright accommodation for political purposes? Or was it just plain poor reporting? Either way I'm done with it!
Posted by: mwb | Sep 16, 2009 1:30:56 AM
Charlie, Charlie, Wake Up! Time to read the news. You guys are a joke when it comes to news. Wait, did I read one of the first stories on your web site, Sasha, Malia, Bo Joyfully greet Dad. You got to be kidding and your not covering a story on an organization that received millions in tax payer money and was expected to receive billions more? Your not going to be reporting the news of people loosing their jobs because you are going to be with them. Want the scoop, go to Fox News.
Posted by: Tom | Sep 16, 2009 1:17:01 AM
Hope you guys go out of business! You are part of the problem. When a crime occurs and you witnessed, but you do not report it to the authorities, then you become an accomplish. You guys are a bunch of incompetents!
Posted by: El Incorrecto | Sep 16, 2009 1:02:11 AM
You guys are excellent with around the clock coverage when we lose a celebrity like Micheal Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith...... maybe you forgot how to cover real news that doesn't involve paparazi's Please give the American public more respect and cover the real news. So much is at stake and we need you to do your job and start being real reporters, I exclude only Mr Tapper who seems to be the only reporter at your organization.
Posted by: lisa | Sep 16, 2009 1:00:26 AM
"SORRY CHARLIE" Where are the interns that do research for you? Don't you have producers or someone to clue you in on the news...your career is on the line..hope you wake up and stop the romance with the current administration and cover big political storie. This is as good as Watergate and you are sleeping through a great story. I used to like Charlie, but since he never heard about ACORN and college age kids had to break the story, this shows Charlie Gibson must be lazy or too busy worshiping the left wings in the house and senate. Sorry Charlie, but you were too busy reporting on Kanye West and MTV awards. What about the low ratings of ABC...FOX News is killing all the liberal news stations that are worshiping the administration and ignoring the truth. I used to watch ABC and now I only check now and then to see if ABC is covering ACORN, the CZARS, and the TEA Parties, but you never did until you were humilliated by FOX and some kids under 25 yrs old. Sorry ABC, but you are no longer a source of news for Americans.
Posted by: pbsisson | Sep 16, 2009 12:55:09 AM
This reminds me of the scene in "Men in Black" where Tommy Lee Jones' character "jokes" about the tabloids being the only source for "investigative journalism" ..... Well that's closer to the truth today especially with the CORRUPT so-called mainstream media that we suffer with today!
Posted by: Jim | Sep 16, 2009 12:26:41 AM
It's about time you cover a real story. When will your journalists get smart and either quit before their jobs and integrity are gone or start showing the truth about crooks in DC? What about the 9 12 Project...when do you plan to tell the story about taxpayers going to DC to protest BIG GOVERNMENT? Hopefully you will know it was not about race, but about taxpayers tired of the government taking over our freedoms. Your news network is no longer a source for news...guess this Democrat will watch your station for Gray's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives only...when it comes to news your staff is clueless. What executive at ABC is getting paid off to look the other way? Maybe your lack of covering the story shows your ignorance...
Posted by: pbsisson | Sep 16, 2009 12:24:27 AM
This is one of the reason why people has lost faith in the media. Expose for would-be pedophiles but no criminal investigation against ACORN.
Posted by: myna | Sep 15, 2009 11:57:32 PM
I am amazed at the lack of coverage given to the ACORN scandel that this media has showed. YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO JOURNALISM.
Posted by: c pollice | Sep 15, 2009 11:27:46 PM
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