Zachary Roth March 22, 2010, 4:08 PM

Via Politico’s Ben Smith:

ACORN’s national organization is folding in the wake of the conservative-led attacks against it, most prominently James O’Keefe’s undercover videos.

A statement from a national spokesman for the group reads:

The ACORN Association Board met on Sunday March 21 and approved a set of steps to responsibly manage the process of bringing its operations to a close over the coming months. These include:

* Closing ACORN’s remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1st; and
* Developing a plan to resolve all outstanding debts, obligations and other issues.

ACORN’s members have a great deal to be proud of—from promoting to homeownership to helping rebuild New Orleans, from raising wages to winning safer streets, from training community leaders to promoting voter participation—ACORN members have worked hard to create stronger to communities, a more inclusive democracy, and a more just nation.

The O’Keefe episode led Congress last fall to vote to deny federal funds to ACORN — though a court later found the bill unconstitutional because it singled out the group for punishment.

As Smith notes, ACORN has always been very decentralized, so much of the work the group does can be expected to continue on the local level, in some cases by groups that have already broken away from the national organization and rebranded themselves.

ACORN, James O'Keefe