September 17th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised and credited Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com and other new media outlets for “shining some much needed sunlight on the festering sore of ACORN and finally forcing the controlled media and the politicians to take a position to defund the group.”
Today, the House voted 345-75 to approve the “Defund ACORN Act.” This followed action this week in the Senate, which voted 83-7 to prohibit ACORN from receiving housing grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The House legislation will now proceed to the Senate.
“Andrew Breitbart, his BigGovernment.com, and the new media across the country deserve the credit for nailing ACORN—a corrupt outfit that has engaged in voter fraud and pushed for the loose-lending policies that helped destroy the housing industry,” Wilson said.
According to the legislation, no organization may receive funding that has “been indicted for a violation under any Federal or State law governing the financing of a campaign for election for public office or any law governing the administration of an election for public office, including a law relating to voter registration… had its State corporate charter terminated due to its failure to comply with Federal or State lobbying disclosure requirements… [or] has filed a fraudulent form with any Federal or State regulatory agency.”
This week’s votes in the House and Senate followed the highly publicized disclosure of undercover videos revealing ACORN operations offering assistance to underaged prostitutes exclusively reported by Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government news portal. On the videos, ACORN workers were shown giving advice on how to evade taxes, set up a brothel, and even use minors as prostitutes.
The revelations have already led to the U.S. Census revoking its partnership agreement with ACORN in the official 2010 Census count, as ALG News previously reported.
ACORN is currently eligible for more than $3 billion under the $787 billion “stimulus” spending bill, and $5.5 billion from the 2010 budget. Since 1994, ACORN has received at least $53 million from American taxpayers, according to the Washington Examiner.
ACORN is also eligible for over $500 million of an “affordable housing fund” created under the $300 billion Foreclosure Prevention Act passed this past summer. Wilson cited ACORN Housing Corporation’s troubled history in giving out cheap mortgages as playing a key role in weakening credit standards.
According to the Consumer Rights League, ACORN receives some 40 percent of its funding from taxpayers annually. This fiscal year it has received $1.6 million received thus far for housing services.
In addition to its problems with housing funds and offering assistance to prostitutes, ACORN is under investigation for voter registration fraud in several swing states, including Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Missouri, and has a long history of such fraud in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Mexico. Americans for Limited government last year released a comprehensive executive summary of its activities.
Wilson called on new media outlets to continue uncovering the wrongdoings of tax-funded organizations. “Keep doing the good work that the controlled media won’t,” said Wilson. “And at ALG News we’ll help make sure the word gets out, loud and clear.”
“The fact is, no organization should be on the taxpayer dole that has engaged in voter registration fraud, does not abide by lobbying disclosure requirements, or tries to defraud the government,” Wilson concluded.
Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
###