ACORN has been contacted by the FBI and the Brooklyn district attorney's office in connection to the recent scandal in which staffers were caught on video advising two people posing as a pimp and a prostitute on how to break the law.
The news was revealed by Arthur Schwartz, ACORN's general counsel, on a conference call with reporters moments ago. (Full disclosure: Almost a decade ago, I was hired by Schwartz to work on a political campaign.) Schwartz said that the requests for information were not subpoenas, but confirmed that they were part of investigations into possible criminal activity revealed by the videos. He added that ACORN is cooperating with those requests.
In the wake of the videos being released, several Republican lawmakers have called for a Justice Department probe of the group. And President Obama also said he thought ACORN should be investigated, though he didn't specify by who.
In addition, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis appeared to knock down a recent report (sub. req.) by the Wall Street Journal that ACORN is considering ending its voter registration work, which does not use federal funds. Lewis said that ACORN will continue to help low-income citizens participate in the political process.

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CVille Dem
September 23, 2009 5:53 PM
I just wonder. Has KBR been contacted by the FBI regarding the military deaths due to their incompetence, despite their million dollar contracts? How about BlackWater, now Xe, which have killed civilians and endangered our troops. Any reduction in funding for them? Any investigations?
Which is more serious? Why do the right-wing idiots get off scot-free for their murders and their thievery?
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Walter Mitty
September 23, 2009 5:59 PM in reply to CVille Dem
Nah, because they don't help out the downtrodden and invisible.
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Stiggs
September 23, 2009 6:30 PM in reply to CVille Dem
What about the gang rape of a KBR employee by her coworkers and the subsequent threatening, obstruction and destruction of evidence by KBR? Any chance that we're going to get a criminal investigation into that? Or maybe a reconsideration of federal funds allocation? It's almost as if we are more interested in fake involvement into fake crimes than real involvement in real crimes. Great, now I'm cranky and nauseous again.
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CVille Dem
September 23, 2009 7:05 PM in reply to Stiggs
I'm right there with you, but it does look like they will have to face criminal charges. Who knows what the outcome will be.
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Ramsgate
September 23, 2009 11:26 PM in reply to CVille Dem
Of course KBR has not been contacted by the FBI because the pusillanimous Democrats have not bombarded the Justice Department with letters demanding an investigation. The Republicans asked for an investigation on Acorn, and they got one. The Dems are in power, why don't they harass Holder.
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Tom Betz
September 24, 2009 8:09 AM in reply to CVille Dem
If Rep. Grayson gets his way, the right wing won't be able to get off scott-free for a change.
Help him.
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8391
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Walter Mitty
September 23, 2009 5:59 PM
Will the "investigative reporters" have to turn over their full videos to the investigations?
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LarryMo
September 23, 2009 6:29 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
A good point. The inconvenient "date/time stamp" that is on the videos makes it pretty difficult to show editing or splicing.
It also leads me to wonder what IS ALSO on any of the tapes - similar to the "husband killer" in California who was jerking the chain of the Pimp'N'Ho videographers.
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Cy Guy
September 24, 2009 11:27 AM in reply to Walter Mitty
Is there going to be an investigation into the conspiracy to violate wiretapping laws in multiple states?
No?
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stevelaudig
September 23, 2009 6:19 PM
Let us talk about selective prosecution. Let us say "KBR". Let us say "the company that used to call itself 'Blackwater'." Let us say "Lockheed." Every time an ACORN person is talked to by the Eff Bee Eye, they should say "selective prosecution" which is simply the political version of profiling.
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pol
September 23, 2009 6:26 PM
I read an AP report where the ACORN worker reported the incident to the police, although it was 2 days later.
Police say he contacted law enforcement two days later. The detective consulted another police official who served on a federal human smuggling task force, who said he needed more details.
The ACORN employee responded several days later and explained that the information he received was not true and he had been duped.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hA9b96qgu9MG_331xFUGcYvhOcLAD9AS3CUO0
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Henrietta
September 23, 2009 7:01 PM
A question: setting aside the parts of these videos dealing with underage sex workers (that appear to involve the ACORN workers trying to help the pimp/ho evade taxes), what is wrong with the part of the video in which the worker tries to help the hooker find a job description under which she can pay taxes?
If you're a hooker, what you do is illegal pretty much everywhere. If the choice is between not paying taxes because you can't admit you're a hooker, and saying you're something else and paying your fair share, wouldn't it actually be doing sort of the right thing to lie about your profession?
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CVille Dem
September 23, 2009 7:08 PM in reply to Henrietta
It totally depends on if you are a republican or not. If you are plugging their scam you are fine. Anything else, you better look out!
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Eric Jaffa
September 23, 2009 8:55 PM in reply to Henrietta
This Slate article suggests that prostitutes should pay taxes:
==============================================================
How Do Prostitutes Pay Their Taxes?
With 1040 Schedule C, of course.
By Brian Palmer
Posted Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, at 6:29 PM ET
ACORN, the community organizing group and Republican cause célèbre, lost its federal funding last week after some of its employees were captured on video telling people they thought were prostitutes how to manipulate tax laws. How do real prostitutes go about paying their taxes?
They report their income on IRS Form 1040 Schedule C (PDF) and pay self-employment tax in addition to ordinary income taxes. Sex-worker advocacy organizations regularly receive requests for tax advice. Some prostitutes, for example, might need help with the first line on the form—which asks the filer to identify her profession and service offered. It turns out that the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination permits a prostitute to leave this line blank or provide a vague answer like "sale of leisure services." The form also requires the filer to select a code for line of business. The ACORN employee recommended 711510 ("independent artists, writers, and performers"), but 713900 ("other amusement and recreation services") and 812990 ("all other personal services") would have been equally appropriate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2229094?nav=wp
==============================================================
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Henrietta
September 24, 2009 9:17 AM in reply to Eric Jaffa
Excellent. Thanks, Eric.
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Joe Buck
September 23, 2009 9:01 PM in reply to Henrietta
One of the ACORN workers in the videos called the police to report possible enslavement of underage women as prostitutes after being filmed but before the story came out. This means that he was playing along with the "pimp", passing what he learned on to the cops. ACORN, under intense pressure, fired him anyway.
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East Coast Aussie
September 23, 2009 11:45 PM in reply to Joe Buck
So the ACORN rep was playing along so they wouldn't alert the client and then notified the police?
If this is the case, it needs more exposure.
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Juble
September 23, 2009 8:00 PM
Here is an aside folks,this does not concern this story but just athought:Can you imagine the congressional investigations that would have been unfurled upon us,if the Repukes were in the majority of either house(Senate & congressional)?
Acorn & Obama's ties to Acorn would have been one for sure
Obama's birth certificate would also been a must ?
Michelle Obama's activities after law school would have been a must by the GOP
Obama's travels would have been another.
Exactly what the GOP did to BClinton.they would have been doing to the Prez if the GOP held a majority in either house.And you don't need to rack your brain to see.That some GOP scums in congress have already put forth legislation regarding birth certification of US prez.
The nut-baggery would have been off the charts.
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Curtis Ellis
September 23, 2009 10:29 PM in reply to Juble
Juble,
I believe you have hit on a very compelling argument the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee must make next year to drive turnout in the midterm elections.
"If you liked how the Republican Congress wasted its time and your money on pointless partisan political investigations of the Clinton White House, you'll LOVE what's in store for President Obama...and the nation... if the Republicans take control of the House or the Senate... get ready for Congressional probes of birth certificates... madrassas... ACORN... re-education camps... death panels... the anti-Christ... don't let this happen."
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ericf
September 24, 2009 1:38 AM in reply to Curtis Ellis
I must agree. That sounds like a powerful argument to present to anyone who thinks which party holds power doesn't matter.
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fitley
September 23, 2009 11:29 PM
I don't care about the specifics, I just want to say that the white nerd dork trying to pass himself off as a PIMP, is the BOMB.
I've seen pics from frat boy PIMP/HOE parties but this gentleman has a sense of style unlike most closeted frat boys. That dude is bad. Entire frat houses should be lined up to s*ck his little d*ck.
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hawaiian
September 24, 2009 1:25 AM
Tax evation and Houses for children in the business of prositution is the tip of the iceberg.
Money laundering cash to politicians, this is new just to the media who is in bed with these guys.
Yes and congress is going to investigate ??!! I dont think so.
This is not the America our military men and women are dieing for.
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ericf
September 24, 2009 1:41 AM in reply to hawaiian
The tip of the iceberg is this one employee who contacted law enforcement. He might have to explain why he waited two days, but that he did it before the videos came out is the point. How many others did the right thing when the cameras left? What's in the footage that hasn't been released? Maybe both the "pimp" and ACORN will have some apologizing to do to some former employees.
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VictorLaszlo
September 24, 2009 1:41 AM
Great News! The FBI is investigating the couple that was going around asking how to set up a child prostitution ring!
Wait... that's not what they're doing? Why the hell not?
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Anonymous Bosch
September 24, 2009 4:01 AM
I'm not in any way defending what it seems ACORN has done here, but...
I wonder how many corporate law firms you'd need to videotape before you found one that WASN'T advising its clients on ways to circumvent the law.
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rerutled
September 24, 2009 5:33 AM
The FBI isn't the only government-related entity interested in ACORN's dealings. Ominously, ACORN offices in Louisiana have been contacted by Sen. David Vitter's office, which has promised a full, complete and probing investigation of all of ACORN's bordello-related activities.
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jacks45
September 24, 2009 8:46 AM
For a revealing look into why ACORN so riles the right take a look at Harold Meyerson's column in today's WAPO.
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JohnW1141
September 24, 2009 10:14 AM
The Republicans and the right wing are after ACORN because ACORN registered 1.3 million minorities and poor people (usually Democrat votes) to vote last year
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benjoya
September 24, 2009 10:31 AM
any idea why the Brooklyn DA's office is involved in this? other than the fact that the brooklyn DA is a camera hog?
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An Outhouse
September 24, 2009 12:09 PM
So which fake video inspired this selective prosecution? There are so many pearl clutchers these days that I'm getting confused.
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Campesino
September 25, 2009 2:01 PM
Oops!!! ACORN = Reverse Robin Hood
Documents released by a Senate Republican on Thursday show that leaders of the ACORN community organizing network transferred several million dollars in charitable and government money meant for the poor to arms of the group that have political and sometimes profit-making missions.
ACORN's tax-exempt groups and allied organizations, long a target of conservative ire, used more than half their charitable and public money in 2006 to pay other ACORN affiliates, according to an analysis by the tax staff of Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa).
On Thursday, Grassley called the transactions a "big shell game" and said ACORN donors may be surprised by how the liberal group known for helping the poor obtain housing and health care was spending their money. He urged the Internal Revenue Service to take a closer look.
According to the Grassley report, charities "are being used to raise monies which are then funneled to other charities or to other organizations for purposes other than what the donor may have intended. . . . Dollars raised for charitable [purposes] appear to be used for impermissible lobbing and political activity."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092404249.html?hpid=topnews
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shellykane
October 12, 2009 1:32 AM
Well, Do you have any idea ?? Why the Brooklyn DA's office is involved in this? other than the fact that the brooklyn DA is a camera hog? Please clarified me the all things ...
================================================================
real estate
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