Barely three months after I advised Americans to Think Twice Before Opening Door to Census Worker, two Indiana women were allegedly attacked by 39-year-old Daniel Miller, a U.S. Census worker who had been on the job for two weeks and now faces rape and burglary charges, according to a news report out of Indianapolis.

A report issued by the Government Accountability Office Oct. 7 revealed that approximately 785 employees with disqualifying criminal records could end up working for the Census Bureau this year. Excerpts (below) show the exact wording of the agency’s frightening information about the people who go door to door conducting interviews and collecting information for the 2010 Census:

The Bureau’s efforts to fingerprint employees, which was required as part of a criminal background check, did not proceed smoothly, in part because of training issues. As a result, over 35,000 temporary census workers — over a fifth of the address canvassing workforce — were hired despite the fact that their fingerprints could not be processed and they were not fully screened for employment eligibility.

…of the prints that could be processed, fingerprint results identified 1,800 temporary workers (1.1 percent of total hires) with criminal records that name check alone failed to identify. Of the 1,800 workers with criminal records, approximately 750 (42 percent) were terminated or were further reviewed because the Bureau determined their criminal records — which included crimes such as rape, manslaughter, and child abuse — disqualified them from census employment.

…we estimate that approximately 785 employees with unclassifiable prints could have disqualifying criminal records but still end up working for the Bureau.

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According to a 2008 annual progress report from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, ”ACORN Housing” was listed as a recipient of a $100,000 capacity building grant for a “Predatory Lending Database Program.” The funding was announced in November 2008.

Rebecca Boykin, Communications Manager for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, provided this update on the grant:

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) awarded a $100,000 grant to ACORN Housing Corporation, Inc. as part of the Predatory Lending Database Program, which helps provide counseling for homebuyers facing predatory loans, in an effort to decrease the likelihood of future foreclosures. ACORN Housing was selected for funding following an application process that included a review of its HUD certification. Under the grant guidelines, ACORN Housing is required to submit a progress report later this month. They’ve been granted a portion of the $100,000. The remainder is under review in light of recent events.

(more…)

Fox News reports:

Filmmaker Demands Apology From ACORN for Claiming Undercover Video ‘Doctored’

The independent filmmaker whose hidden-camera videos prompted the firing of four ACORN workers is demanding an apology from ACORN for calling his work a fabricated “scam” and daring the activist group to take legal action against him.

“Bring it on,” filmmaker James O’Keefe said Sunday on FOX News.

That was after ACORN lashed out at O’Keefe, who with his friend Hannah Giles posed as a pimp and prostitute looking to evade the IRS and apply for an illegal housing loan for a brothel. The sting operation caught four ACORN workers in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., offices appearing to offer their help.

Those workers were subsequently fired, and the U.S. Census Bureau severed ties with ACORN in the wake of the controversy. But ACORN chief organizer Bertha Lewis issued a written statement Saturday saying that while she cannot defend the actions of the workers who were terminated, O’Keefe may have committed a “felony” with his operation. She also threatened legal action against FOX News, which aired the videos but did not produce them. (more…)

September 11, 2009

Ms. Maude Hurd
President
ACORN
739 8th St SE
Washington, DC 20003

Dear Ms. Hurd:

The goal of the U.S. Census Bureau’s partnership program is to combine the strengths of state, local, and tribal governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, schools, media, businesses and others to ensure an accurate 2010 Census. While not (sic) Census bureau employees, partners are advocates for census cooperation and participation. They serve a trusted voices within their communities and are critical to our strategy to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.

The Census Bureau has established criteria for partnerships, which are listed on our Web site at www.census.gov and reserves the right to decline partnership or to terminate an existing partnership agreement with any group that 1) may create a negative connotation for the Census Bureau; 2) could distract from the Census Bureau’s mission; or, 3) may make people fearful of participating in the census.

To that end, and in keeping with the standards we shared with your organization and others who volunteered to partner with the Census Bureau to help promote the 2010 Census, we are today terminating our Partnership Agreement with ACORN.

Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN’s affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010 Census efforts. (more…)

Washington, D.C., Sep 11 -

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06) today requested the U.S. Census Bureau to refrain from partnering with ACORN in light of the numerous additional criminal activities uncovered this week:

“The past three days have brought to light further evidence that ACORN is untrustworthy and not worthy of being a partner for the 2010 census,” said Bachmann.  “These additional findings are disturbing and merely solidify my original and long-standing position that an organization with a continuous cloud of suspicion should be banned from receiving taxpayer dollars.  So long as this cloud of suspicion hangs over ACORN, I am afraid that its partnership with the Bureau could jeopardize the integrity of the census process and diminish the public’s trust in the Census.”

Bachmann has also requested Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Barney Frank conduct a congressional investigation into ACORN, its use of tax dollars, and whether it should repay tax dollars already received.

In order to immediately stop taxpayer dollars from funding ACORN, Bachmann is requesting the IRS revoke ACORN’s tax exempt status; the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) halt any current funding; and the HUD Suspension and Debarment Committee suspend any future access to funding until ACORN cleans up its operation.

Click here to learn about the 11 ACORN workers arrested for voter registration or click here to view video of the Baltimore prostitution investigation. (more…)