ACORN Corruption at the Top
Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN's founder Wade Rathke, was found to have embezzled $948,607.50 from the group and affiliated charitable organizations back in 1999 and 2000. ACORN executives decided to handle it as an internal matter, and did not inform most of the board members or law enforcement, and instead signed an enforceable restitution agreement with the Rathke family to repay the amount of the embezzlement.
In September 2008, following revelations of Dale Rathke's embezzlement, two members of ACORN's national board of directors filed a lawsuit seeking to obtain financial documents and to force the organization to sever ties with Wade Rathke. ACORN's executive committee voted unanimously to remove the two.
So here we have the board of directors attempting a cover up by hiding the fraud at the top then firing other members of the board trying to get to the bottom of the fraud.
In October 2009, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell claimed in a subpoena that ACORN's board of directors found that a larger amount—$5 million—had been embezzled from the organization.
In 1977 ACORN accepted a $470,000 federal grant through the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program to train volunteers to help low-income
citizens. ACORN was accused of illegally using the resources for its political activities, and the report from a Congressional investigation found that ACORN had illegally used the money for labor organizing.
In 1994 following a Clinton Administration grant worth more than $1 million to ACORN Housing Corp, an investigation by the Inspector General of AmeriCorps found that AHC used government funds to register low-income individuals for paid ACORN memberships — a violation of federal law. The Inspector General found evidence of inappropriate transactions charged to AHC – and thus to taxpayers – “by ACORN or other ACORN-related entities.”
Further, ACH had also lied about maintaining separation from ACORN, which engages in overt political activities. The Inspector General found evidence of “ACORN having ‘created’ AHC to serve purposes common to both organizations” and “noted numerous transactions involving AHC and other ‘fraternal’ ACORN-related corporations.”
BTW, while not corruption, ACORN may be the single most hypocritical employer in America. They have long advocated to pay wages in excess of the federal or state minimum wage. It’s not just that ACORN doesn’t want to pay the “living wage” it foists on other employers; ACORN has tried to get out of paying the minimum wage to its employees and Despite ACORN’s publicly stated support of unions, the National Labor Relations Board in March 2003 found that ACORN broke the law “by interrogating employees about their union activities, by informing employees that other employees have been discharged because of the Union, by threatening employees that
selecting the Union to represent them will be futile, and by threatening employees with discharge.
Acorn corruption in the middle
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was fined the maximum of $5,000 in Las Vegas for its role in a massive voter registration fraud conspiracy. The judge chastised the now-bankrupt corporation for making a "mockery" of the nation's election process. "This isn't a banana republic," Mosley said. http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/judge-fines-acorn-5000-voter-registration-scheme
Acorn corruption at the bottom
ACORN vote canvassers apparently pulled names and addresses from telephone books and forged signatures in over half of the registrations turned in. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_c128a355-2510-5a86-9190-61a06da50a70.html
50% of the 8,600 voter registrations turned in by the national group Voting Is Power, affiliated with ACORN, were incomplete or incorrectly filled out.
Following Colorado’s 2004 election, two ex-ACORN employees were convicted of perjury for submitting false voter registration forms; one ex-ACORN employee admitted to registering her friends 40 times.
In 2005, Virginia authorities found that of a sample of Project Vote-gathered registrations, 83% were rejected for using false or questionable information.
In 2007, King County, Washington officials announced the indictment of seven workers ACORN had hired to register voters, calling the episode the “worst case of voter registration fraud in the history of the state.” At least three of those individuals have pleaded guilty and ACORN was forced to pay a $25,000 settlement.
BTW after all the denials and screaming about edited videos by O’Keefe, only one of the 7 offices reported the incident to police. And of course the O'Keefe wouldn't have known about that. At least one played along thinking it was a hoax. The others willing went along with it, and although didn't commit any criminal acts with their advice and compliance, showed that they had no moral compass. Props to O'Keefe for shinning the light on this corrupt organization.
Cue the, "Well those were just a few bad apples, the organization isn't TOTALLY corrupt..." apologists.
Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN's founder Wade Rathke, was found to have embezzled $948,607.50 from the group and affiliated charitable organizations back in 1999 and 2000. ACORN executives decided to handle it as an internal matter, and did not inform most of the board members or law enforcement, and instead signed an enforceable restitution agreement with the Rathke family to repay the amount of the embezzlement.
In September 2008, following revelations of Dale Rathke's embezzlement, two members of ACORN's national board of directors filed a lawsuit seeking to obtain financial documents and to force the organization to sever ties with Wade Rathke. ACORN's executive committee voted unanimously to remove the two.
So here we have the board of directors attempting a cover up by hiding the fraud at the top then firing other members of the board trying to get to the bottom of the fraud.
In October 2009, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell claimed in a subpoena that ACORN's board of directors found that a larger amount—$5 million—had been embezzled from the organization.
In 1977 ACORN accepted a $470,000 federal grant through the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program to train volunteers to help low-income
citizens. ACORN was accused of illegally using the resources for its political activities, and the report from a Congressional investigation found that ACORN had illegally used the money for labor organizing.
In 1994 following a Clinton Administration grant worth more than $1 million to ACORN Housing Corp, an investigation by the Inspector General of AmeriCorps found that AHC used government funds to register low-income individuals for paid ACORN memberships — a violation of federal law. The Inspector General found evidence of inappropriate transactions charged to AHC – and thus to taxpayers – “by ACORN or other ACORN-related entities.”
Further, ACH had also lied about maintaining separation from ACORN, which engages in overt political activities. The Inspector General found evidence of “ACORN having ‘created’ AHC to serve purposes common to both organizations” and “noted numerous transactions involving AHC and other ‘fraternal’ ACORN-related corporations.”
BTW, while not corruption, ACORN may be the single most hypocritical employer in America. They have long advocated to pay wages in excess of the federal or state minimum wage. It’s not just that ACORN doesn’t want to pay the “living wage” it foists on other employers; ACORN has tried to get out of paying the minimum wage to its employees and Despite ACORN’s publicly stated support of unions, the National Labor Relations Board in March 2003 found that ACORN broke the law “by interrogating employees about their union activities, by informing employees that other employees have been discharged because of the Union, by threatening employees that
selecting the Union to represent them will be futile, and by threatening employees with discharge.
Acorn corruption in the middle
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was fined the maximum of $5,000 in Las Vegas for its role in a massive voter registration fraud conspiracy. The judge chastised the now-bankrupt corporation for making a "mockery" of the nation's election process. "This isn't a banana republic," Mosley said. http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/judge-fines-acorn-5000-voter-registration-scheme
Acorn corruption at the bottom
ACORN vote canvassers apparently pulled names and addresses from telephone books and forged signatures in over half of the registrations turned in. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_c128a355-2510-5a86-9190-61a06da50a70.html
50% of the 8,600 voter registrations turned in by the national group Voting Is Power, affiliated with ACORN, were incomplete or incorrectly filled out.
Following Colorado’s 2004 election, two ex-ACORN employees were convicted of perjury for submitting false voter registration forms; one ex-ACORN employee admitted to registering her friends 40 times.
In 2005, Virginia authorities found that of a sample of Project Vote-gathered registrations, 83% were rejected for using false or questionable information.
In 2007, King County, Washington officials announced the indictment of seven workers ACORN had hired to register voters, calling the episode the “worst case of voter registration fraud in the history of the state.” At least three of those individuals have pleaded guilty and ACORN was forced to pay a $25,000 settlement.
BTW after all the denials and screaming about edited videos by O’Keefe, only one of the 7 offices reported the incident to police. And of course the O'Keefe wouldn't have known about that. At least one played along thinking it was a hoax. The others willing went along with it, and although didn't commit any criminal acts with their advice and compliance, showed that they had no moral compass. Props to O'Keefe for shinning the light on this corrupt organization.
Cue the, "Well those were just a few bad apples, the organization isn't TOTALLY corrupt..." apologists.
Last edited:
