Nonprofit Groups Say Report Shows Congress 'Rushed to Judgment' on Acorn

[ensho]

http://philanthropy.com/news/government/index.php?id=10347


Seven liberal, civil-rights, and advocacy organizations condemned Congress today for what they described as a rush to judgment after an independent investigation found no evidence that Acorn, the controversial community-organizing group, had engaged in illegal activity.

Congress voted to cut off federal funds to Acorn — the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now — in September after undercover videos appeared to show employees in several cities offering advice to two conservative activists about illegal activities, including prostitution and child trafficking.

The investigation — led by Scott Harshbarger, a former Massachusetts attorney general — found that the activities caught on the videos demonstrated “longstanding management weaknesses” but did not lead to any actions by Acorn employees, “illegal or otherwise.” It added that the videos were all of members or part-time employees, rather than supervisors or organizers, and were edited before they were released.

“This independent report serves as a valuable reminder that in barring Acorn from competing for federal contracts when no lawbreaking had occurred, Congress rushed to judgment and violated fundamental constitutional rights,” said Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice, one of the groups that issued statements of support for Acorn.

“The real embarrassment here is the unwarranted persecution of a nonprofit organization that has worked diligently for nearly 40 years to improve the lives of America’s poor and minority communities,” added Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
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good, we knew all along Acorn was alright


however Darrell Issa dosn't believe this report. of course he doesn't.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. not true. The GOP simply demanded something, and our spineless

shitferbrains D congresscritters caved in faster than an Idaho mine after Bush fired all inspectors.

The democrats in congress better start looking at a mirror. They are pissing us off as much as the GOPers are pissing off the Teabaggers.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. +1 nt

[mdmc]

2. Where was the spine of our noble Dems?

WHERE?

[rudy23]

3. Repubs = Hannity. Dems = Colmes

If Mitch McConnell told Harry Reid to punch himself repeatedly on the floor of the Senate, he would do it.

[Bitwit1234]

5. Again, it was because the democrats are spineless they were

afraid to tee off the republicans and caved. Just like they did when they were in the minority. The way they are acting and voting, you would think they are still in the minority. What with the Blue Dirty Dogs being undercover republicans maybe they are.

[gratuitous]

6. Isn't that nice?

ACORN gets its funding pulled based on doctored videotapes and an organized smear campaign led by Fox News. Who is injured, even if the allegations are true? Well, nobody really. But without funding, a lot citizens will have their civil rights curtailed or denied.

Xe (Blackwater), KBR, and a host of other defense contractors do not get their funding pulled, and in fact are rewarded with ever larger and more lucrative contracts despite ample evidence of corruption, malfeasance, negligence, and outright theft, which results in people getting killed.

Welcome to the United States!