Louisiana Attorney General’s Office tells ACORN – Show Me The Money (the books and the corporate records)

For decades the Crescent City has played host to one of the most feared and revered political organizations in America, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Today, the Louisiana Attorney General’s office executed a search warrant on ACORN’s National Headquarters at its Canal Street address.

“We’re looking for corporate records and financial documents” states Investigator Scott Bailey; which are essentially the same things the ACORN 8 sought nearly 18 months ago. “We also wanted ACORN real estate records” states Marcel Reid, President of ACORN 8.

“We sent letters to the entire ACORN Board of Directors nearly a year ago, stating that it was either provide this information through the ACORN 8’s Writ of Mandamus (request for books and records) or we were going to go to the Police” continues Reid.

“It could not have happened at a better time” states Michael McCray, National Spokesman for the ACORN 8. “We believe that ACORN is trying to flee this jurisdiction. Since Louisiana seems to be the only government agency that is seriously investigating ACORN.”

“If ACORN hopes to survive then the know nothing, see nothing, do nothing board of directors must by replaced by individuals with the strength and capabilities to fulfill their fiduciary obligations and the courage to reign in corruption within ACORN’s senior management ranks” continues Reid.

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN 8, ACORN embezzlement, ACORN raid, Buddy Caldwell
Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 10:27 pm in ACORN, Featured Story, News | 2671020 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/mmccray/2009/11/06/louisiana-attorney-generals-office-tells-acorn-show-me-the-money-the-books-and-the-corporate-records/Louisiana+Attorney+General%E2%80%99s+Office+tells+ACORN+%E2%80%93+Show+Me+The+Money+%28the+books+and+the+corporate+records%292009-11-07+05%3A27%3A24Michael+++McCray

Federal Grand Jury Seeks Information from ACORN

Story filed by the Pelican Institute’s Steve Beatty:

Amid the paperwork associated with a search warrant served on ACORN’s New Orleans headquarters Friday is a one-sentence acknowledgement by the embattled activist group’s attorneys that it is has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury.

“Regarding the federal grand jury subpoenas, ACORN does not object to the provision of information and documents to the federal government…” reads a letter from Abbe David Lowell of the Washington law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery. 

The letter was included in court filings from ACORN explaining the legal basis for why they weren’t complying with a subpoena issued by Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, which seeks a wide range of accounting information regarding the group’s many affiliated agencies. 

Lowell disclosed the federal investigation as he was writing to a New Orleans lawyer representing ACORN’s local outside accountants. The accounting firm of Duplantier, Hrapmann, Hogan & Maher was served with a subpoena from Caldwell, and, apparently, at least two from federal officials. In the letter, Lowell said ACORN was asserting accountant-client privilege, which is recognized in Louisiana, but not at the federal level.

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN raid, Bertha Lewis, Beth Butler, Buddy Caldwell
Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 6:23 pm in ACORN, Congress, Justice/Legal, Politics, State Politics | 2692637 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/kkane/2009/11/06/federal-grand-jury-seeks-information-from-acorn/Federal+Grand+Jury+Seeks+Information+from+ACORN2009-11-07+01%3A23%3A30Kevin+Kane

BREAKING: ACORN’s New Orleans Office Raided by Louisiana Attorney General

Photo from Big Government Contributor Kevin Kane

In a fast-breaking development comes word that agents of the Attorney’s General office in Louisiana have raided ACORN’s offices in New Orleans. ACORN’s New Orleans was, for decades, the headquarters of the national community organizing association. News of the raid comes from Marcel Reid and her colleagues at ACORN 8, an association of former ACORN leaders and board members. Many of the individuals involved with ACORN 8 were fired from ACORN for demanding a forensic audit following an embezzlement scandal involving Dale Rathke, brother of ACORN co-founder Wade Rathke.

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN embezzlement, ACORN new orleans, ACORN raid, Buddy Caldwell
Posted Nov 6th 2009 at 12:12 pm in ACORN | 26682403 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2009/11/06/breaking-acorns-new-orleans-office-raided-by-louisiana-attorney-generals-office/BREAKING%3A+ACORN%27s+New+Orleans+Office+Raided+by+Louisiana+Attorney+General2009-11-06+19%3A12%3A17Capitol++Confidential