Hannah Giles in ACORN office in Baltimore. AP Photo BigGovernment
Undercover videographers Hannah Giles and James O' Keefe both became household names when they released the videos of various ACORN offices. The videos included ACORN workers advising Giles and O' Keefe (posing as a prostitute and pimp) on how to hide their business activities, evade tax laws, and potentially smuggle in more underage prostitutes from outside of the country. Since the videos have been released ACORN has launched an internal investigation and seen Congress hold votes to suspend any federal funding they receive.
In addition to taking the measures listed above ACORN is now fighting back against the two videographers. ACORN has filed a lawsuit against Giles and O' Keefe claiming the two violated ACORN's rights by videotaping them without their knowledge and damaging ACORN's reputation.
Some other organizations have also come after O' Keefe and Giles for what they see as bias and distorted coverage by the two. The LA Times and Media Matters ran reports detailing how the two videographers were actually reported to police and kicked out of two ACORN offices contrary to the claim that no ACORN office turned them down. Media Matters also accuses O' Keefe of using abusive editing practices in his video's that takes quotes out of context to make his subjects look bad.
Now many conservatives are coming to the defense of O' Keefe and Giles in response to the lawsuit and criticism. Newsbusters, HotAir, and Breitbart have all in some way promoted a legal defense fund for Giles and O' Keefe. The biggest name to emerge in the pair's defense so far is Sean Hannity who in the video below pledges to also help raise funds in their defense. The fight over ACORN now seems to be moving increasing from ACORN itself to the people who made the videos exposing the the organization.
Comments
Facts are a stubborn thing. Maryland's law says ZERO about video! It specifically says audio.
The non-consenting party "must have a reasonable expectation of privacy" in the "intercepted" communication.
There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in the FRONT OFFICE of a business that is open to the public.
Acorns FIRST statement stated that they were thrown out of the office that the SECOND video was filmed in. It was a part of the diabolical plan to release the vids as the ACORN and their sycophants denied what was on tape.
The discovery phase of this suit will be priceless as the defendants will be able to have access to all sorts of previously hidden documents and financial books.
I predict ACORN will drop the suit before it gets to trial and possibly during discovery.
Food Lion v ABC -- Methinks Jimbo and Hannah may find themselves in serious need of an infusion of cash.
"Project Vote, one of the most recognized organizations in the ACORN family, took in $8.6 million in 2006 but paid more than 60 percent of that -- $5.4 million -- to two groups then controlled by Rathke. About $4.6 million went to ACORN for "contractual and campaign services" and $779,000 went to Citizens Consulting Inc., which charged ACORN affiliates on a percentage basis for bookkeeping services. "
Obama's campaign gave an ACORN affiliate $800,000 during the campaign for "get out the vote" work. Now we learn that ACORN owed the state of Louisiana $850,000 in unpaid taxes and fines.
Coincidence? Or collusion?
I don't think they'll drop the case at all. In fact, I think public support may get behind ACORN when the public discovers who actually hired these young filmmakers to do this undercover work. Ha! 'Grass roots,' and 'working on their own,' my ---.
www.citizensconsulting.org/ 1024 Elysian Fields Ave, N.O. LA.
SEIU 100/ ACORN in N.O La can be found at 1024 Elysian Fields Ave, N.O. LA.
www.nlpc.org/category/keywords/citizens-consulting-inc
www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/08/15/obama-acorn-citizens-services-inc-false-fec-filings/
* Dale Rathke embezzled money from ACORN totalling about $950k. Apparently, commitments have been made to return about $210k, for a total of $740k still missing.
* Barack Obama's campaign paid ACORN, via a political consulting affiliate, $830k, but ACORN says that they only received $80, leaving $750k unaccounted for.
* Dale Rathke embezzled this money in the period of 1999-2000, when Barack Obama was running for US Congress with the backing of SEIU Local 880 and ACORN. SEIU Local 880 is basically ACORN controlled. Rathke even filed the LM-2 form with the Department of Labor in 2000, signing it as "Treasurer", which I have previously written about.
* Obama, ACORN, SEIU 880, and Rep. Danny Davis, appeared to act together in a number of local political engagements.
First, the math, starting with the Rathke. According to the NYT, Rathke embezzled about $950k via a loan to an ACORN affiliate, Citizens Consulting Inc.:
George says: I think public support may get behind ACORN
Wanna buy some carbon credits? I know you will fall for that scheme too.
The amount Dale Rathke embezzled, $948,607.50, was carried as a loan on the books of Citizens Consulting Inc., which provides bookkeeping, accounting and other financial management services to Acorn and many of its affiliated entities.
However, some money has been returned:
Instead, she said, the Rathke family has paid Acorn $30,000 a year in restitution since 2001, or a total of $210,000.
Net missing: $738,607.50. Eventually, this gap was filled, again via the NYT:
Ms. Kingsley also found that the Acorn Fund, a health care benefits fund, had advanced “a large amount of money” to Acorn, adding that it appeared that the money was used to cover “the cash shortfall caused by the embezzlement.”
www.thenextright.com/soren-dayton/is-obama-connected-to-the-acorn-rathke-embezzlement-scandal
Acorn is DEAD!
ACORN was also operating in Baltimore illegally. They let their corporate charter expire 3 years ago.
Last year here in Baltimore ACORN broke into a foreclosed home and occupied it until police made arrests.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRrHZGTdhKw
Typical of these law breakers.
WWGBD, you must a LOT of time on your hands...
While you're on a roll please post the fraud info against Halliburton and Blackwater (Xe) next. I bet the readers here will be interested in knowing about the BILLIONS they've swindled...so far.
Henry says: post the fraud info against Halliburton and Blackwater
I will leave the irrelevant past issues to your kind thank you.
My posts took all of about 10 minutes. Much shorter time than it took you to read them I'm sure.
@WWGBD - None of which is relevant to the specific allegation ACORN is making: that they were illegally recorded in secret by people trespassing on private property.
Although ABC eventually had the $5.5 million judgment against them overturned, the network clearly spent more than that just in legal costs.
And it ended the use of that tactic by legitimate news organizations - risk greatly outweighs benefit.
Somebody with deep pockets better be backing the film makers.
WWGBD, the Examiner won't allow that much text. And What Would George Bush Do? Oh, that's right...fail. Over and over and over and over and over...again. (15 seconds to type)
@Henry "And What Would George Bush Do? Oh, that's right...fail. Over and over and over and over and over...again." This is what the left does when they have no real defense of their actions...point to GWB and refuse to address the issue at hand. The conservative media may be coming to the defense of O'Keefe and Giles, but that's better thaqn coming to the defense of a corrupt organization that is being investigated in more than a dozen states for tampering with our elections, and has now been caught red-handed enthusiastically giving advice on how to operate a brothel with 12 year old girls illegally imported into the US. Now, who would you rather be defending? Your answer says a lot about you. If you chose ACORN I'm happy you don't live in my neighborhood. I wouldn't be able to allow my daughters to go outside.
...and over, and over, and over, and over...
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