PRESS RELEASE from the
Republican National Committee
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 4, 2008
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CONTACT:
Press Office
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OBAMA & ACORN FACT SHEET
THE
ACORN/OBAMA RHETORIC
Obama Campaign Tries To Downplay “Supposed”
Connections Between Their Candidate And ACORN:
“Barack Obama Never Organized With ACORN” (Barack
Obama For President Website, http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor,
Accessed 10/4/08)
“[L]ies About His Supposed Connection To
ACORN.” (Barack Obama For
President Website, http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor,
Accessed 10/4/08)
THE
ACORN/OBAMA RECORD
Obama Formerly Represented
ACORN, Taught Classes For Future Leaders Of ACORN, And They Endorsed
His 2008 Presidential Campaign:
Obama Directed Project
Vote And Later Taught Classes For “Future Leaders Identified By ACORN
And The Centers For New Horizons.” “He [Obama]
says he is drawn to politics,
despite its superficialities, as a means to advance his real passion
and calling: community organization. … In 1992 Obama took time off to
direct Project Vote, the most successful grass-roots voter-registration
campaign in recent city history. Credited with helping elect Carol
Moseley-Braun to the U.S. Senate, the registration drive, aimed
primarily at African-Americans, added an estimated 125,000 voters to
the voter rolls--even more than were registered during Harold
Washington's mayoral campaigns. ‘It's a power thing,’ said the
brochures and radio commercials. … Obama continues his organizing work
largely through classes for future leaders identified by ACORN and the
Centers for New Horizons on the south side.” (Hank De
Zutter, Op-Ed, “What Makes Obama Run?” Chicago Reader, 12/8/95)
Obama Was Part Of Team Of
Lawyers Who Represented ACORN In A Suit Against The State Of Illinois. “Obama
was part of a team of attorneys who
represented the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
(ACORN) in a lawsuit against the state of Illinois in 1995 for failing
to implement a federal law designed to make it easier for the poor and
others to register as voters.” (Mike Robinson, “Obama Got
Start In Civil Rights Practice,” The
Associated Press, 2/20/07)
ACORN’s Political Action
Committee Endorsed Obama. “[A]CORN's
political action committee endorsed Barack Obama for President. … The
endorsement reflects a belief that Obama – who worked as a community
organizer on the South Side of Chicago – understands that change must
come from the ground-up, as part of a working coalition, rather than
from position papers.” (Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Op-Ed, “ACORN: Obama
Gets It,” The Nation,
2/23/08)
Obama’s Campaign Paid Over
$800,000 To ACORN For Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts, But “Mistakenly
Misrepresented” Their Work To The FEC:
Obama’s Campaign “Paid
More Than $800,000” To ACORN For Get-Out-The Vote Efforts; The Campaign
Originally “Misrepresented” The Group’s Work To The FEC.
“U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's
presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an offshoot of the
liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for
services the Democrat's campaign says it mistakenly misrepresented in
federal reports. An Obama spokesman said Federal Election
Commission reports would be amended to show Citizens Services Inc. -- a
subsidiary of ACORN -- worked in ‘get-out-the-vote’ projects, instead
of activities such as polling, advance work and staging major events as
stated in FEC finance reports filed during the primary.” (David M.
Brown, “Obama To Amend Report On $800,000 In Spending,” Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/22/08)
While Serving On The Board
Of Directors Of The Woods Fund, ACORN Received Thousands Of Dollars Of
Grants From The Organization:
The Chicago ACORN Received
Grants Of $45,000 (2000), $30,000 (2001), $45,000 (2001), $30,000
(2002), And $40,000 (2002) From The Woods Fund. (Donors
Forum Website, ifs.donorsforum.org, Accessed
6/10/08)
- NOTE: From 1993 To 2002,
Barack Obama Served On The Board Of Directors For The Woods Fund. (Tim Novak
and Fran Spielman, “Obama Helped Ex-Boss Get $1 Mil. From Charity,” Chicago Sun-Times, 11/29/07)
WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE?
James Terry, The Chief
Public Advocate Of The Consumers Rights League, Testified About ACORN’s
Pattern Of Fraud Before The Joint Oversight Committee:
The Chief Public Advocate
Of The Consumers Rights League, James Terry, Testified Today In
Congress About How “ACORN’s Pattern Of Fraud Can No Longer Be Dismissed
As A Series Of Unfortunate Events.” “James
Terry, Chief Public Advocate for the
Consumers Rights League, today testified at a joint House
Administration and House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on
‘Federal, State and Local Efforts to Prepare for the General 2008
Election,’ where he highlighted ‘corruption at every level of ACORN
including embezzlement, cover-ups, misuse of taxpayer funds and voter
fraud.’ An excerpt of his testimony follows: James Terry, Chief Public
Advocate, Consumers Rights League: ‘ACORN routinely says it will clean
up its act. Yet, given its decade-long history of voter fraud,
embezzlement, and misuses of taxpayer funds, ACORN's pattern of fraud
can no longer be dismissed as a series of 'unfortunate events.’” (“CRL
Testimony On ACORN's Voter Fraud,” The
Wall Street Journal, 9/25/08)
- Terry Stated “It Is Fair
To Question How Many Fraudulent Registrations” Submitted By ACORN May
“Lead To Fraudulent Votes,” And Also Pointed Out That ACORN May Be
“Willing To Undertake” Other Actions “To Influence The Election.”
James Terry: “Furthermore, as this mega
organization with a decades long history of violating the law is turned
to get out the vote efforts, we believe it is fair to question how many
fraudulent registrations may lead to fraudulent votes or what other
activities they are willing to undertake to influence the election.” (“CRL
Testimony On ACORN's Voter Fraud,” The
Wall Street Journal, 9/25/08)
Some Of The Highlights Of
ACORN Suspicious Activity In 2008:
Many Voter Applications,
Submitted By ACORN, Appear To Be Fraudulent And Are Being Withheld By
Seminole County’s Elections Supervisor Until They Are Proven
Legitimate. “Local
elections officials are looking into potential election fraud and some
of the information is pointing to a Democratic-leaning voter's group.
ACORN … has been registering thousands of new voters for this year's
election, but in Seminole County, some voter applications are being
withheld until it's proven they're legitimate. … Seminole County's
elections supervisor is holding up dozens of voter registration
applications because they appear to be fraudulent: wrong addresses, bad
signatures and more. … Many of the applications with suspect
information were turned-in by the activist group ACORN.” (“Elections
Officials Look Into Voter Fraud,” WESH Orlando, 9/23/08)
“ACORN Admits That They
Had A Case Of Voter Fraud Happen This Week In Seminole County,”
Florida. “ACORN
admits that they had a case of voter fraud happen this week in Seminole
County, but say they have since fired that employee and the faulty
registration has been thrown out.” (Susie
Hassan, “ACORN Blamed For Florida Voter Fraud,” WZVN-HD ABC News,
9/25/08)
In Clark County, Nevada,
ACORN Allegedly Submits 2,000 To 3,000 Fraudulent Applications Each
Week. “ACORN, which
stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now,
claims to have collected 60,000 new voter registrations in Clark County
since February. The group, which works to promote the interests of
lower-income people, is aiming for 100,000 by Labor Day. … The group
has drawn accusations of voter fraud and criminal investigations in
several states. Last year, authorities in Washington state brought
felony charges against ACORN workers for filing false voter
registrations. Some ACORN workers pleaded guilty and went to jail,
while the organization paid $25,000 and agreed to have its registration
efforts monitored in a settlement with Washington state authorities.
[Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry] Lomax said while he supports
the goal of getting more people registered to vote, he sees rampant
fraud in the 2,000 to 3,000 registrations ACORN turns in every week.” (Molly
Ball, “New Voter Sign-Ups Up,” Las
Vegas Review-Journal,
7/7/08)
Nevada State Officials Are
Teaming With Federal Authorities To Investigate Voter Fraud,
Particularly Applications Submitted By ACORN. “Nevada
state and federal authorities on
Thursday announced the formation of a task force that will aggressively
pursue allegations of election fraud. The secretary of state,
attorney general, U.S. attorney's office and Federal Bureau of
Investigation plan to work together as the election approaches and on
Election Day to ensure a free and fair election in Nevada, where record
turnout is anticipated. ‘This is part of an effort to work
proactively,’ Secretary of State Ross Miller, the state's chief
elections official, said of the combined effort, which he said would
‘ensure there is integrity in the system.’ Miller said investigators
are already looking into allegations of fraud in voter registration,
though he declined to go into specifics of an investigation he
suggested was being handled by the FBI. Clark County officials have
said they suspect fraud is occurring in the thousands of voter
registrations being submitted by the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, which works to get low-income
people to vote. ACORN, whose officials have faced fraud charges in
other states, says the group's workers are trained to follow the law.” (Molly
Ball, “Election Fraud Task Force Formed,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, 8/1/08)
In New Mexico, Doña
Ana County Officials “Received Complaints About Misleading Voter
Registration Activities.”
“The Doña Ana County Bureau of Elections has received complaints
about misleading voter-registration activities and wants to make sure
the public knows the truth about registering. Elections Supervisor Lynn
Ellins said in a news release from the county that the ‘most
disturbing’ complaint is from people who say they are being told they
must re-register to vote under a new law passed by the state
Legislature. ‘This is simply not true,’ Ellins said. ‘Any voter who is
registered and in good standing has no obligation to re-register.’” (Heath
Haussamen, “Complaints In Doña Ana County,” The New Mexico Independent,
6/11/08)
Doña Ana County Spokesman Jess
Williams Said That ACORN Is Responsible For Many Of The Complaints
About The Voter Re-Registration Scheme. “County
spokesman Jess Williams said
many of the complaints are about the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform, more commonly known as ACORN. The group has
been actively trying to register voters in Doña Ana County in
recent months. It has also received national attention in recent years
for allegations in other states of voter fraud and shoddy work…” (Heath
Haussamen, “Complaints In Doña Ana County,” The New Mexico Independent,
6/11/08)
In New Mexico, 1,100
Fraudulent Voter-Registration Cards Were Reported And ACORN
Acknowledges That Some May Have Come From Its Group.
“Such is the situation for Bernalillo
County, which reported, the day before Obama’s Española rally,
that it had received 1,100 fraudulent voter-registration cards. While
there is no information, yet, on where those cards came from, Matthew
Henderson, ACORN’s New Mexico head organizer, acknowledges some could
have come from his group. ACORN,
he says, has registered 75,000 New Mexicans during this election
cycle.” (Mark
Sanders, “Attempts To Rock The Vote,
Rock The Boat,” Santa Fe Reporter, 9/24/08)
Ninety Voter Registration
Forms That Included Social Security Numbers And Dates Of Birth Were
Stolen From ACORN’s Las Cruces Office. “Ninety
completed voter-registration
applications that included Social Security numbers and dates of birth
were stolen over the weekend from the Las Cruces office of an
independent voter-registration group. As a result, ACORN plans to send
letters to those whose applications were stolen to inform them of the
situation.” (Heath
Haussamen, “Completed
Voter-Registration Forms Stolen From Group,” “Heath Haussamen On New
Mexico Politics” Blog, haussamen.blogspot.com, 6/24/08)
In North Carolina, Durham
County’s Elections Director, Mike Ashe, Has Asked That Approximately 80
Voter Registration Forms Submitted by ACORN Be Investigated For
Suspicions Of Fraud.
“A Durham official is asking state elections administrators to check
approximately 80 voter registration forms for possible fraud. … Mike
Ashe, Durham County's elections director, said the forms were among
about 4,000 submitted to his office over the past four to six weeks by
a national left-wing group called Acorn … Ashe's staff also learned
this week of irregularities with a handful of other registrations. It
was not clear who was responsible for these problems. … ‘This is
serious, obviously,’ Ashe said.” (Matthew
E. Milliken, “Elections Chief Asks For Voter Fraud Probe,” The Herald [NC] Sun, 9/19/08)
In Cuyahoga County, OH,
ACORN Is Under Investigation By Election Officials Due To “Many
Suspicious” Voter Registration Cards. “A
national organization that conducts
voter registration drives for low-income people has curtailed its push
in Cuyahoga County after the Board of Elections accused its workers of
submitting fraudulent registration cards. The board is
investigating the Association of Community Organizations for Reform
Now. Results of the inquiry could be turned over to the county
prosecutor. Board employees said ACORN workers often handed in the same
name on a number of voter registration cards, but showing that person
living at different addresses. Other times, cards had the same name
listed, but a different date of birth. Still another sign of possible
fraud showed a number of people living at an address that turned out to
be a restaurant. … Board employees are unsure how many of the cards are
fraudulent. But the voter registration department received so many
suspicious cards that it began compiling a binder with evidence. The
binder grew to be an inch-thick.” (Joe
Guillen, “Cuyahoga Board Probes ACORN Voter Registration Drive,” The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 8/27/08)
- ‘“I'm Obviously Very
Concerned,’ Board Chairman Jeff Hastings Said. ‘This Goes To The
Essence Of Our Democracy.’” (Joe Guillen, “Cuyahoga Board
Probes ACORN Voter Registration Drive,” The [Cleveland, OH] Plain Dealer, 8/27/08)
In Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, Election Officials Accused ACORN “Of Filing Fraudulent
Voter Registrations” But The Group Blames The Post Office.
“Philadelphia elections officials are
accusing the nonprofit advocacy group ‘Acorn’ of filing fraudulent
voter registrations in advance of the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary.
Acorn, which advocates on behalf of low-income residents in the city,
has mounted a voter registration drive in the past few months. But city
election commissioners are complaining that many of the submitted
registrations appear to be faulty, and they have forwarded the matter
to the district attorney's office for further investigation. … The city
officials say many of the addresses listed on the registrations are
invalid, but Acorn blames the post office for not adequately servicing
low-income communities.” (Mike Dunn, “Phila. Probing
Advocacy Group's Voter Registrations,” KYW Newsradio, www.kyw1060.com, 3/12/08)
One Pennsylvania ACORN
Worker Is Facing “19 Counts Of Perjury, Making False Statements,
Forgery And Identity Theft” Related To Voter Registration Forms.
“A former temporary worker for a national
community action group recently questioned by Dauphin County
investigators about bogus voter registration forms is now a wanted man.
Luis R. Torres-Serrano, 37, of the 200 block of South 15th Street, is
accused by authorities of submitting more than 100 fraudulent voter
registration forms he collected on behalf of the Association of
Community Organizations for Reform Now to county election officials. …
Torres-Serrano is charged with 19 counts of perjury, making false
statements, forgery and identity theft in connection with the voter
registration forms, authorities said.” (Reggie
Sheffield, “Former Temp Worker Accused Of Bogus Voter Registrations,” [Harrisburg,
PA] Patriot News, 7/24/08)
Milwaukee Election
Officials Launched An Investigation Against ACORN For “Making People Up
Or Registering People That Were Still In Prison.”
“Criminal investigations could be launched
against at least six voter registration workers who tried to add dead,
imprisoned or imaginary people to the voter rolls, according to the
Milwaukee Election Commission and the organization that employed them.
Officials are reviewing some 200 to 300 fraudulent voter registration
cards, Sue Edman, the commission's executive director, said Wednesday.
… In about 12 cases, deputy registrars paid by ACORN were ‘making
people up or registering people that were still in prison,’ said
Carolyn Castore, ACORN's state political director. And in other cases,
workers used the same address for numerous voters or used driver's
license numbers that did not fit the voters' birth dates, Edman said.
But most of the fraud involved submitting duplicate cards for voters
who were already registered, and forging the voters' signatures,
Castore said.” (Larry
Sandler, “Fake Names Get Voter
Registration Workers Investigated,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/7/08)
All Voter Fraud Instances
Under Investigation By Milwaukee Officials Are Linked To “Two Liberal
Groups” - ACORN And The Community Voters Project.
“Milwaukee's election chief on Wednesday
turned 32 more voter registration workers in to the district attorney's
office for possible prosecution, saying they tried to submit falsified
registration cards. That brings to 39 the number of registration
workers under scrutiny, and the number could grow, Election Commission
Executive Director Sue Edman said. An organization warned the
commission staff late Wednesday afternoon about some questionable cards
in the latest batch collected by its workers, Edman said. All of the
workers targeted for investigation were paid employees of two liberal
groups running voter registration drives, the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the Community Voters Project.”
(Larry Sandler,
“More Voter Registration
Workers Under Scrutiny,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/21/08)
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