As Allegations Against ACORN Mount, So Does Pressure to Investigate, Cut-Off Public Funds to Corrupt Organization 

Washington, DC -- James Terry, Chief Public Advocate for the Consumers Rights League, today issued the following statement supporting the calls of House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner, Minority Whip Roy Blunt and Senator John Ensign to investigate the activities of ACORN as well as suspend taxpayer funds to the organization in light of mounting evidence of fraudulent activity in Nevada, Missouri and Ohio.  CRL also expressed outrage over ACORN's willingness to accept rampant fraud as the cost of doing business.

 James Terry, Chief Public Advocate, Consumers Rights League:

 "Senator Ensign and Congressmen Boehner and Blunt are right -- enough is enough.  With ACORN standing to reap millions in taxpayer dollars from the financial crisis it helped create, this multi-national, corrupt organization needs to be investigated, not further rewarded. Now, with 40 Members of the House of Representatives and two House leaders calling for an investigation, along with Senator Ensign calling for an immediate suspension of taxpayer dollars to ACORN, it is time the Congressional leadership and the appropriate federal authorities to take action to ensure taxpayers are protected.

 "ACORN's admission in Ohio that fraud is acceptable is stunning in its gravity and their reasoning is simply not credible.   It is difficult to swallow the notion that an organization spending an estimated $50 million plus on a voter registration project would cite lack of resources as an excuse to accept fraudulent practices.

 "The fact is, year after year, ACORN has consistently displayed contempt for the law and a willingness to accept rampant fraud as a simple cost of doing business. Unfortunately, voter registration is not the only area of ACORN's operation to disregard the law. This organization has a long history of fraud, embezzlement and misuse of taxpayer funds.  With an estimated $110 million annual budget, there is more than adequate resources to allow for proper oversight. But there seems to be a culture of corruption that pervades the organization that should be investigated not rewarded with millions more of taxpayer dollars."

 Background:

 As the Washington Times reported (10/8):

 "On Tuesday, Sen. John Ensign, Nevada Republican, called for the suspension of federal payments to ACORN as part of an affordable housing fund run by mortgage buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  'With the government takeover of Fannie and Freddie, the government will be taxing itself to create a backdoor slush fund, and we must prevent these taxpayer dollars from going toward ACORN,' Mr. Ensign said. 'With the recent news tying ACORN with voter fraud, suspending these funds is even more urgent.'"

 A report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (10/7) noted:

 "A national voter-registration group admitted to Cuyahoga County election officials Tuesday that it cannot eliminate fraud from its operation.  The group blamed inefficiency and lack of resources for problems such as being unable to spot duplicate voter-registration cards or cards that may have been filled out by workers to make quotas."

 The Springfield News Leader (10/9) also reported:

 "U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt on Thursday called for a federal investigation of widespread alleged voter application fraud by the liberal activist group ACORN in numerous states, including Missouri.

 The Springfield Republican said the integrity of the Nov. 4 election is at stake as election officials in the Kansas City have discovered possibly hundreds of duplicate voter-registration forms submitted by ACORN, or the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now."