Bloomfield Republican Women's Club

The liberal media has crafted a pretty compelling obituary for the disgraced "civil rights" organization ACORN, declaring the organization bankrupt, disbanded, and out of business.  But according to a recent report from the Republican minority House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, led by Ranking Member Darrell Issa, ACORN's alleged decline is yet another slight of hand:

"On February 18, 2010, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Republicans, in a staff report, described ACORN's financial management as a 'shell game....designed to conceal illegal activities, to use taxpayer and tax-exempt dollars for partisan political purposes, and to distract investigators.'  ACORN officials, however, appear to be trying to dupe government officials and the American public through false and misleading claims about ending operations.  ACORN officials told The New York Times that 'at least 15 of the group's 30 state chapters have disbanded and have no plans of re-forming".  On Sunday March 21, 2010, it was reported that ACORN Board met to discuss the closing of state affiliates and field offices.

However, claims that ACORN is disbanding have been greatly exaggerated.  As ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis told National Public Radio, [ACORN is] not dead, yet.'  ACORN's new affiliates have filed corporate registrations in Secretary of State offices throughout the country...Committee investigators found that several new ACORN affiliates maintain the same boards, staff and Employer Identification Numbers as former ACORN offices.  This reflects the lack of true change or reform between these new organizations and their predecessors."

Just like a corrupt mob-owned business that goes out of business and opens up across the street under a new name, ACORN is attempting to rebrand itself.  That's how ACORN Housing Corp becomes Affordable Housing Centers of America, Arkansas ACORN becomes Arkansas Community Organizations, and Minnesota ACORN becomes Minnesota Neighborhoods Organizing for Change.  And so on.

With respect to its assets, the report notes that the New York Chapter of ACORN, under the leadership of Bertha Lewis, is working quickly to consolidate $20 million from approximately 800 bank accounts and an additional $10 million in property.  So there is no shortage of funds ACORN can use to craft a new image and continue its crooked operation unimpeded.

In a letter released to The New York Times, ACORN boasted about what it plans to do with all of its riches:  "You will continue to hear from ACORN - in the mail, on the Web, and in the media," the letter read.  "And we need your continued support to counter the vicious anti-family, anti-minority, anti-immigrant attacks of the Republican right."

Of course, one of the reasons ACORN can remain confident in its continued existence, whatever form it takes, is the number of friends they maintain on Capitol Hill and in the Obama White House.

As Judicial Watch detailed previously, we recently uncovered explosive documents proving the Obama Justice Department has already shut down federal investigations into ACORN voter registration fraud.  Remember, President Obama served as a lawyer for ACORN and his campaign hired an ACORN affiliate to help him win the Democratic primary against Hillary Clinton.  And if not for Judicial Watch's efforts to expose ACORN corruption, the organiztion may have played a role staffing the 2010 U.S. Census.

Judicial Watch is on the front lines investigating ACORN corruption.  JW currently has over two dozen FOIA requests pending related to the organization and a number of active lawsuits.

From:  The Judicial Watch Verdict, June 2010