Reaction from ACORN's Valley Office | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Friday, September 18, 2009

Fresno, CA ACORN is taking 48 hours to retrain all of its office employees, the doors of the local ACORN housing office has been locked all day.

ACORN, a national community organizing group has come under fire after nearly half a dozen secretly ... taped videos show ACORN employees advising two conservative activists posing as a prostitute and pimp on how to get housing assistance and hide a fictitious prostitution ring.

Tulare Representative Devin Nunes says ACORN's doors should be closed for good. He explains, "Acorn is completely tarnished and what people should demand is no more money period."

The house and senate have now voted to deny all federal funds to ACORN, which has received nearly 20 million in federal funds over the last 10 years. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the actions in the undercover video are unacceptable and inexcusable, and is calling for more oversight. "I think they are having their own investigation into it. But we have to have our own scrutiny of an organization with an allegation of this kind against it. And I am sure that the conference committee will apply that scrutiny," said Pelosi.

ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said, "I have over 700 employees, and I would be the first to say under my watch this is unacceptable. These are not our standards and our practices."

The Fresno chapter has been outspoken at many events here in the Central Valley, including this "pink slip Friday" teacher protest back in March, and this healthcare reform rally earlier this month. However organizers were told not to speak with us about the undercover video controversy. ACORN has currently suspended operations at all offices.

Late Thursday afternoon Action News received a statement from the Fresno ACORN chapter calling the videos an unproductive witch hunt by right wing groups.

The statement also said quote: "Without ACORN, important work would be left undone in California: helping urban center communities find health-care, stop foreclosures, improve neighborhood public safety and improve education and job training services at the grassroots level." end quote.

ACORN's CEO plans to sue those who filmed the video saying it was illegal. The organization has fired four employees in connection to the videos.