You Decide

Oct 16, 2008

"Washington, Oct 16 - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today released an analysis showing that the left-wing group ACORN, currently under investigation by the FBI for a “coordinated national scam” of voter registration fraud according to the Associated Press, has received at least $31 million in federal funding from various federal agencies since 1998. This total does not count the untold millions more that ACORN has received indirectly through state and local agencies that receive federal block grants. Boehner, who last week called for an end to federal funding of ACORN following widespread reports of voter fraud by the group, released the following statement:

“Senator Obama recently said that he doesn’t need ACORN. Well, American taxpayers don’t need ACORN either. They don’t need ACORN’s voter registration fraud, and they no longer need to support ACORN with federal funds.

“ACORN’s free ride on the backs of taxpayers must end immediately. An initial review of federal records shows ACORN affiliates have received at least $31 million in direct federal funding from American taxpayers over the past 10 years, and millions more indirectly through state and local agencies that receive federal block grants. House Republicans worked together to stop the Majority from using taxpayer dollars to fill a slush fund created just for ACORN, but now we must go further to turn off the spigot of federal grants on which ACORN depends.

“Recent revelations of voter registration fraud on a massive scale in critical states are unacceptable. ACORN’s dishonest approach to voter registration, including fraudulently registering the cartoon character Mickey Mouse, shows a brazen disrespect for the law and our system of free and fair elections. In conjunction with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and its political allies in the Democratic Party, ACORN also played a key role in creating the financial crisis that ultimately put our entire economy in peril. It’s time for us to stop forcing American taxpayers to fund the ACORN machine.”

A review of the Federal Register shows that ACORN affiliates in 11 states received more than $31 million in federal funds from 1998 to 2008.

One of the grants to an ACORN affiliate, a Jan. 17, 2007 award to ACORN Associates Inc. of Albuquerque, NM, is notable because it appears to facilitate and encourage the use of risky subprime loans, now viewed by many as a contributing factor in the recent freezing up of international credit markets. The title for the grant? “Education and Outreach Initiative/Subprime Lending Component.”

Here is a breakdown of federal funds received by ACORN:

RECIPIENT CITY ST AMOUNT DATE
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,016,473.86 03/26/08
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,821,596.00 03/06/08
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION N/A N/A $7,850,939.00 02/24/08
ACORN INSTITUTE INC. WASHINGTON DC $362,378.00 01/28/08
ACORN INSTITUTE DALLAS TX $179,916.00 12/31/07
ACORN INSTITUTE DALLAS TX $124,915.00 12/31/07
ACORN INSTITUTE DALLAS TX $124,693.00 12/31/07
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION ST. PAUL MN $100,000.00 11/20/07
NEW MEXICO ACORN FAIR HOUSING ALBUQUERQUE NM $99,757.00 11/20/07
NEW MEXICO ACORN FAIR HOUSING ALBUQUERQUE NM $99,724.00 01/17/07
ACORN ASSOCIATES INC. ALBUQUERQUE NM $49,997.00 01/17/07
ACORN COMMUNITY LAND ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA
NEW ORLEANS LA $100,000.00 01/17/07
ACORN FAIR HOUSING WASHINGTON DC $80,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION ST. PAUL MN $80,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN INSTITUTE INC. NEW ORLEANS LA $80,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION OF TEXAS HOUSTON TX $49,865.00 09/08/06
ACORN COMMUNITY LAND ASSOCIATION ALBUQUERQUE NM $99,775.00 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION OF ARIZONA PHOENIX AZ $99,840.00 09/08/06
ACORN COMMUNITY LAND ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA
BALTIMORE MD $200,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN FAIR HOUSING WASHINGTON DC $79,988.00 09/08/06
ACORN INSTITUTE INC. NEW ORLEANS LA $79,896.80 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION ST. PAUL MN $80,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN COMMUNITY LAND ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA
NEW ORLEANS LA $80,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION OF ARIZONA PHOENIX AZ $95,000.00 09/08/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION ST. PAUL MN $100,000.00 09/06/06
ACORN FAIR HOUSING, A PROJECT OF AMERICAN INSTITUTE
WASHINGTON DC $100,000.00 09/06/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION ST. PAUL MN $100,000.00 09/06/06
ACORN COMMUNITY LAND ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA
NEW ORLEANS LA $100,000.00 09/06/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION N/A IL $351,000.00 08/29/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION N/A IL $527,000.00 08/29/06
ACORN ASSOCIATES NEW ORLEANS LA $1,999,920.00 06/14/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,197,255.00 03/21/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $78,354.00 03/21/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATIONPHILADELPHIA PA $323,439.00 03/21/06
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATIONPHILADELPHIA PA $275,000.00 03/21/06
ACORN HOUSING ST. PAUL MN $100,000.00 12/13/05
ACORN INSTITUTE DALLAS TX $96,952.58 12/13/05
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,812,471.00 05/02/05
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $325,000.00 05/02/05
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $275,000.00 05/02/05
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $2,024,511.00 02/23/04
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $380,282.00 02/23/04
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $ 250,962.00 02/23/04
ACORN ASSOCIATES NEW ORLEANS LA $999,974.00 11/25/03
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,167,044.00 01/13/03
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,032,192.00 01/16/02
ACORN FAIR HOUSING WASHINGTON DC $300,000.00 11/09/01
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION CHICAGO IL $300,000.00 04/11/01
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $597,474.34 04/11/01
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,000,000.00 06/23/99
ACORN TENANT UNION TRAINING AND ORGANIZING PROJECT
WASHINGTON DC $99,900.00 04/13/99
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION CHICAGO IL $751,500.00 02/12/99
ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION PHILADELPHIA PA $1,000,000.00 08/27/98
ACORN TENANT UNION TRANING PROJECT, INC.
BROOKLYN NY $250,000.00 04/08/98
ARKANSAS ACORN FAIR HOUSING LITTLE ROCK AR $100,000.00 02/19/98
TOTAL $31,049,984.58

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