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ACORN under fire...again.

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www.foxnews.com said:
Officials with the controversial community organizing group ACORN were secretly videotaped offering to assist two individuals posing as a pimp and a prostitute, encouraging them to lie to the Internal Revenue Service and providing guidance on how to claim underage girls from South America as dependents.

The videotape was made public Thursday on BigGovernment.com, a political blog launched by Andrew Breitbart as a companion site to his BigHollywood.breitbart.com blog.

In the videotape, made on July 24, James O'Keefe, a 25-year-old independent filmmaker, posed as a pimp with a 20-year-old woman named "Kenya" who posed as a prostitute while visiting ACORN's office in Baltimore. The couple told ACORN staffers they wanted to secure housing where the woman could continue to maintain a prostitution business.

ACORN — the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now — bills itself as the nation's largest community of low- and moderate-income families "working together for social justice and stronger communities," according to its Web site. The organization has been accused by Republicans and conservative activists with fraud in voter registration drives around the country and has been under fire since last year for its support of President Obama and for its planned participation in next year's census.

A spokesman for ACORN, Scott Levenson, when asked to comment on the videotape, said: "The portrayal is false and defamatory and an attempt at gotcha journalism. This film crew tried to pull this sham at other offices and failed. ACORN wants to see the full video before commenting further."

On the videotape, "Kenya" can be seen telling an ACORN staffer that she earns roughly $8,000 a month. The ACORN employee then suggests to "Kenya" that ACORN could submit a tax return for 2008 showing that she made $9,600 for the entire year — instead of $96,000 — and that ACORN would charge "Kenya" $50 instead of the usual $150 fee for preparing her taxes.

ACORN offers tax preparation and benefits application services free of charge during tax season; it charges nominal fees during non-tax season.

The ACORN staffer can also be seen suggesting that the prostitute list her occupation as a freelance "performing artist."

"It's not dancing, trust me," the "pimp" says.

"But dancing is considered an art," the ACORN staffer replies. "[Exotic dancers] usually go under performing artists, or yeah, they usually go under performing arts, which will be what you are — a performing artist."

The "pimp" later says that he and "Kenya" plan to bring up to 13 "very young" girls from El Salvador to work as prostitutes. Although an ACORN staffer points out their plans are illegal, she also suggests that the girls can be claimed as dependents.

"What if they are going to be making money because they are performing tricks too?" the pimp says.

"If they making money and they are underage, then you shouldn't be letting anybody know anyway," the ACORN staffer says, and laughs. "It's illegal. So I am not hearing this, I am not hearing this. You talk too much. Don't give up no information you're not asked."

The "pimp" then asks ACORN staffers to "promise" not to discriminate against his sex worker because of "who she is and what she does," according to the audiotape.

"If we don't have the information, then how are we going to discriminate?" the ACORN staffer replies. "You see what I am saying?"

If the girls are under age 16, the ACORN staffer says on the tape, then they are not legally allowed to work in the state, regardless of what they do.

"So it's like they don't even exist?" "Kenya" asks.

"Exactly," the ACORN staffer replies. "It's like they don't even exist."

The staffer goes on to suggest that as many as three of the underage girls can be listed as dependents at the home, but a "flag" will be raised if as many as 13 are listed.

"You are gonna use three of them," the staffer says. "They are gonna be under 16, so you is eligible to get child tax credit and additional child tax credit."

The ACORN workers also appear to be promoting the group's services to the "pimp" and "Kenya."

A second ACORN employee can be heard on the audiotape suggesting that the couple join the organization for an annual cost of $120 prior to attending one of its first-time homebuyer seminars, which are underwritten with taxpayer funds.

Later, when the "pimp" asks what would happen if the organization is somehow connected to the scheme, the ACORN staffer replies, "First of all, it's not gonna damage us because we not gonna know. And with your girls, you tell them, 'Be careful.' Train them to keep their mouth shut."

"These girls are like 14, how can we trust them?" the pimp asks.

"Just be very, very careful," the ACORN staffer says. "Whatever you do, always keep your eyes in the back of your head."

Reached by FOX News, O'Keefe said he was "shocked" at the level of assistance provided by ACORN staffers.

"I was prepared for them to call the police, throw me out of the office and be hostile," he said. "Without hesitation, they helped me every way they could with evading taxes and setting me up with a brothel, with getting around federal tax laws — doing everything they could to help us. I was completely shocked."

House Republicans issued a report in July accusing ACORN of engaging in a scheme to use taxpayer money to support a partisan political agenda. California Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, called for a criminal investigation into the group, which dismissed the report as a "partisan attack job."
Click to expand...

Article.

Video.

Follow up.

I don't care who you are, whatever your politics are, this is despicable. This organization gets federal money. Money from TAXPAYERS. and they do this. THIS!?

At the very least, these two ACORN workers should go to jail. I was in the hospital this morning and in school earlier, so I am just now finding this out. This is...infuriating. This...should never exist in this country. Ever.
 
That's got to be the most idiotic article ever. Though, it's Faux News, so guess it should be expected.

I see one of two scenarios occurred here.

1. The ACORN workers are brain-dead for not being able to see through this.

2. The filmmakers got played.

I'm sorry, but this is too much bullshit to believe. The filmmaker obviously has an ax to grind to come up with such a ludicrous scenario. Anyone should be able to see through this, it's so convoluted.
 
The ACORN workers have already been fired.

If they did something criminal, they should be prosecuted. Giving really stupid tax advice is not, I don't think, criminal.
 
I still don't know how these two fell for this. This guy laid it on so thick they should have some point realized they were being lied to. I'm glad they got fired.
 
I found it overall hilarious, because well things like that are funny to see no-matter the person/organization. XD Glad they were fired though, advising people on how to cheat the tax system isn't something anyone should be doing. o.o
 
( Yeah yeah I am still here, blame Netto Azure )

Anyway between this, and now a video posted by the same people doing the same thing in a Washington DC office and supposedly getting the same results ( Havnt watched the two videos yet ). It seems to be more than a single incident, then again with ACORN nothing seems to be a single incident.

Hopefully we will finally get a federal investigation into ACORN as they continue to get federal money, while their employees continue to break numerous laws.
 
evkl said:
The ACORN workers have already been fired.

If they did something criminal, they should be prosecuted. Giving really stupid tax advice is not, I don't think, criminal.
Click to expand...

Actually, the laws broken are laid out in the follow-up. They include criminal facilitation and conspiracy to:

1. commit prostitution

2. operate a prostitution ring

3. Commit tax fraud

4. commit bank fraud

5. violate numerous immigration laws

6. transport children into the U.S. for immoral purposes (the sex trade)

7. Transport women into the U.S. for immoral purposes (Both, I think, violates the Mann Act, this one does for sure)

8. Impair the welfare of minors.

If these women are prosecuted, they could end up in jail for at least 20 years.

And last, Big Al...seriously. You're starting to sound foolish attacking Fox News over this. The fact that ACORN was very quick to fire these women after claiming that Fox News is running a smear campaign suggests that something is very, very wrong.
 
Could it be that they fired them for being morons. Like I said, this scenario is so ludicrous, I don't know how stupid you'd have to be not to realize it's not what it seems.
 
I don't care who you are, whatever your politics are, this is despicable. This organization gets federal money. Money from TAXPAYERS. and they do this. THIS!?
Click to expand...

So does the Boyscouts. Those bastards. I'm not being sarcastic, I hate the Boyscouts.
 
Zeta said:
So does the Boyscouts. Those bastards. I'm not being sarcastic, I hate the Boyscouts.
Click to expand...

Providing assistance for Child Prostitution, Prostitution, as well as avoiding law enforcement and tax officials, not to mention voter fraud in multiple states. Are crimes FAR worse than the Boy Scouts.
 
I'm not sure I get this.

The filmmaker wanted a funny reaction from ACORN on the video just for lulz
They believed he was a pimp and she was a prostitute
They ENCOURAGED what the filmmaker and girl were "doing", but it was part of the video
And then the staff got fired

Is that right? I just sort of skimmed the article.
 
Wait, so claiming to be a pimp and a prostitute is okay, but helping a fake-pimp and fake-prostitute with their taxes means you were operating a prostitution ring...?
 
evkl said:
Wait, so claiming to be a pimp and a prostitute is okay, but helping a fake-pimp and fake-prostitute with their taxes means you were operating a prostitution ring...?
Click to expand...

Yes, its something investigative journalists do many times to see if companies are following the law. Don't you watch 20/20?!

Although I doubt they could get them on operating a prostitution ring, possibly conspiracy or helping the operation of a prostitution ring.
 
The Big Al said:
Could it be that they fired them for being morons. Like I said, this scenario is so ludicrous, I don't know how stupid you'd have to be not to realize it's not what it seems.
Click to expand...

Get your head out of your butt and stop looking at this in a partisian, "OMG FOX NEWS IS TEH DEVIL" way. This is about right and wrong, not about politics. There's no evidence that suggests that this is false.

evkl said:
Wait, so claiming to be a pimp and a prostitute is okay, but helping a fake-pimp and fake-prostitute with their taxes means you were operating a prostitution ring...?
Click to expand...

It's the difference between pretending to do drugs and giving someone drugs. It wasn't running a prostitution ring, but then again, I don't see where in the article it mentions a prostitution ring. Are you trying to justify what they did?
 
I'm not talking about Fox. I'm talking about the filmmakers and how stupid these workers must be to fall for it.
 
I was following Arcane Mind, who listed the following as crimes:
...conspiracy to:
1. commit prostitution
2. operate a prostitution ring
3. Commit tax fraud
4. commit bank fraud
5. violate numerous immigration laws
6. transport children into the U.S. for immoral purposes (the sex trade)
7. Transport women into the U.S. for immoral purposes (Both, I think, violates the Mann Act, this one does for sure)
8. Impair the welfare of minors.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they didn't conspire to do any of those things, except maybe the tax laws (and possibly the immigration laws--but can you conspire to do something like that? If I think about sneaking in undocumented immigrants, or even speak about it, am I conspiring?)

You have to actually pay for the drugs to get arrested by the police for purchasing illegal drugs. You can't simply say "I want to buy drugs." I'm not sure providing tax help to criminals constitutes...a conspiracy to commit the crimes of those criminals.
 
evkl said:
I was following Arcane Mind, who listed the following as crimes:

I'm pretty sure they didn't conspire to do any of those things, except maybe the tax laws (and possibly the immigration laws--but can you conspire to do something like that? If I think about sneaking in undocumented immigrants, or even speak about it, am I conspiring?)
Click to expand...

You would be if you were providing assistance in any way to people looking to sneak in illegal immigrants. I'm not a lawyer, so I do not know the ins and outs of conspiracy charges, most likely it will be up to the DA and Judge on what on that list or other charges they would like to persue.

evkl said:
You have to actually pay for the drugs to get arrested by the police for purchasing illegal drugs. You can't simply say "I want to buy drugs." I'm not sure providing tax help to criminals constitutes...a conspiracy to commit the crimes of those criminals.
Click to expand...

Except here they are doing the same thing. The crime did not start when they said "I need advice to set up funds for my child prostitution ring" it began when the ACORN employees replied "Well here is what you want to do". Just as the Cop was providing drugs to the druggie, the ACORN employee was providing legal assistance to the undercover person.

And in breaking news, the Census Bureau is cutting ties to ACORN I wonder if this is prelude to a investigation or just because being near ACORN right now is toxic.

Edit: And apparently the Washington ACORN Advisers have now been fired as well.
 
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Yeah, this is definitely wrong, but to allow your opinion of people on the left, and independents who occasionally lean to the left to be soiled by a group like this is about the same as allowing a group like PETA to influence your opinion of all vegetarians.
 
Satoshi-kun said:
Yeah, this is definitely wrong, but to allow your opinion of people on the left, and independents who occasionally lean to the left to be soiled by a group like this is about the same as allowing a group like PETA to influence your opinion of all vegetarians.
Click to expand...

Wait, PETA eats vegetables now?! I thought they were against that, too.
 
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