Thread: ACORN really screwed up in Baltimore

ACORN Officials Videotaped Telling 'Pimp,' 'Prostitute' How to Lie to IRS

It appears to be true, although I don't know why the person who made the video had to chop it up so much, it's hard to watch (for any number of reasons)



What were they thinking?

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."

*sigh*



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...est=latestnews



The video(s):



http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/10/chaos-for-glory/

[quote name='Blueneck' date='10 September 2009 - 10:44 AM' timestamp='1252604668' post='19641']

It appears to be true, although I don't know why the person who made the video had to chop it up so much, it's hard to watch (for any number of reasons)



What were they thinking?







*sigh*



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...est=latestnews



The video(s):



http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/10/chaos-for-glory/

[/quote]



kudos kiddo

[quote name='PoliticalHotwire' date='10 September 2009 - 12:57 PM' timestamp='1252605455' post='19653']

I think this should highlight the problems with these types of setups rather than being used as a partisan attack (although there is some validity there, but whatever... I hate scorching a group of people for the actions of a few).



I think any third party receiving money from the government should be up for annual review and competitive bidding with a bipartisan committee. And this isn't just Obama and ACORN. Obviously the first third party which comes to mind is Blackwater.

[/quote]



ACORN needs to be blacklisted and the government should have NOTHING to do with them after all the scandals they have been involved in. And everyone should take note again, that the President had VERY close ties with this group was intimately involved in their actions and when you add to all his other suspect relationships and dealings realize this man cannot be trusted.

[quote name='Stinger' date='10 September 2009 - 02:21 PM' timestamp='1252606893' post='19665']

ACORN needs to be blacklisted and the government should have NOTHING to do with them after all the scandals they have been involved in. And everyone should take note again, that the President had VERY close ties with this group was intimately involved in their actions and when you add to all his other suspect relationships and dealings realize this man cannot be trusted.

[/quote]



You really don't believe Obama knew anything like this was going on do you? If nothing else, they were obviously going to get busted sooner or later and if for no other reason than his own self interest, I don't think he's be associated with them if he was aware of this behavior.



What gets me is that you people have already judged his character, assigned a world domination through evil government control motive to everything he does, and now to you, this is simply proof of all the allegations you already have made.



And what's sad is that a lot of legitimate, deserving people who might go to ACORN to get tax advice or some other type of referral for services will no longer have that resource available to them because of this disgusting scandal.



It's a damn shame that these people are such pukes.

[quote name='Dispondent' date='11 September 2009 - 12:08 AM' timestamp='1252642086' post='19944']

I don't believe Obama had anything to do with this particular issue, but his past associations with an organization that could be involved does bring up interesting tangents, most of which will be speculation of course, but that's the way the world works. People have been screaming up and down that ACORN is corrupt and undeserving of federal tax dollars, hopefully this is the last nail in the coffin for them.

[/quote]



You think any organization that receives government funds and is involved in this kind of lawbreaking should be scrapped?



PH made a good point about Blackwater. United Health recently had to pay a huge fine for fraud related to Medicare Part D. You want to eliminate them too? That wasn't just a couple people, it was the whole system.



I don't want to overlook the lack of morality these women displayed in the video, but if you do away with any group or business receiving government funds that has employees that engage in wrong or unlawful behavior, there probably wouldn't be any left.