Issue Position: ACORN
Issue Position
Compelling evidence came to light last year that evidenced ACORN's institutional corruption. Throughout 2009, the organization was bombarded with claims of voter fraud and other various attempts to defraud the government. The most egregious allegations were against ACORN employees that offered to falsify tax documents and aid in obtaining mortgages for individuals purported to be engaged in prostitution and employing underage illegal immigrants.
This organization and its heinous misuse of taxpayer funds to break our laws, compromise our elections, and manipulate programs meant to help disadvantaged Americans must be stopped.
I am proud to have supported amendments to the Commerce, Justice, and Science; Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development; Interior; and Defense Appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010 that would ban ACORN from receiving funds appropriated through these bills. These provisions were also included in the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law on December 16, 2009. Further, I am a cosponsor of S. 1687, which would prohibit the federal government from providing any federal funds to, or engaging in activities that promote, ACORN.
Unfortunately, Judge Nina Gershon of the Eastern District Court of New York ruled on December 11, 2009, that legislation barring ACORN from receiving federal funds is a violation of the Constitution's Bill of Attainder Clause. I am very disappointed by this decision and hope that this unfortunate ruling can be rectified in a higher court.
I am committed to preventing ACORN from being funded by the same government whose laws it breaks, and I will pursue all avenues to achieve this goal. I have also advocated for the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to thoroughly investigate what appears to be ACORN's stunning disregard for the law and abuse of taxpayer funds. Such an investigation would serve as the basis for ensuring that ACORN would never receive taxpayer funding again.
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