Save Our State  

Go Back   Save Our State > Communities and Quality of Life > Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment Crimes affecting our state and communities. Manhunts, wanted posters, Arrests, and sentences.

WELCOME BACK!.............NEW EFFORTS AHEAD..........CHECK BACK SOON.........UPDATE YOUR EMAIL FOR NEW NOTIFICATIONS.........
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-20-2009, 02:24 PM
Jeanfromfillmore's Avatar
Jeanfromfillmore Jeanfromfillmore is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,287
Default ACORN Mismanaged $200,000 of DOJ Funding,

Updated November 20, 2009
ACORN Mismanaged $200,000 of DOJ Funding, Report Finds
by
FOXNews.com
The news is the latest blow to a scandal-plagued group whose public image has taken a beating in recent weeks after some of its employees were caught on video trying to help a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp evade tax laws.
The community organizing group ACORN mismanaged about $200,000 received from the Justice Department, which failed to track how the allocated money was used, according to a report by the department's watchdog.
The news is the latest blow to a group whose public image has taken a beating in recent months after some of its employees were caught on video trying to help a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp evade tax laws.
"It's ironic that the Justice Department provided ACORN affiliates with funding to help prevent crime when many of ACORN's own employees have come under criticism for possible criminal conduct," said Sen. Lamar Smith, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
Smith called on the inspectors general of federal agencies that have provided millions to ACORN to initiate similar investigations.
"The Justice Department's IG's report may prove to be just the tip of an iceberg-sized fraud," he said.
The report comes as ACORN is suing the federal government in attempt to regain the millions of dollars in funding Congress voted to block after the undercover videos were released in September. The suit charges Congress with violating the Constitution when it passed legislation in September that specifically targeted ACORN to lose federal housing, education and transportation funds.
ACORN claims it has been badly hurt by the congressional actions, and has had to fire workers and close some of its 1,200 branches around the country.
The DOJ report is unlikely to help.
The report targets five DOJ grants $200,000 and given to affiliates of ACORN since 2002. ACORN received an award of $20,000 this year; the ACORN Institute received two awards of DOJ grant funds -- one for $13,000 in 2007 and another for $8,500 this year; the American Institute for Social Justice received an award of $20,000 in 2002; the New York Agency for Community Affairs, Inc., received a $140,000 grant in 2005.
It is not clear how much of the money was spent because the DOJ did not conduct any audits, financial reviews or site visits of the five grants awarded to the ACORN affiliates, according to the report.
The American Institute for Social Justice received its $20,000 as part of a $3.1 million DOJ grant to the National Training and Information Center. But the contract identified "Toledo ACORN" as receiving the $20,000. A 2008 audit revealed significant irregularities in the training center's grant and serious flaws in the groups internal control system. That led to the group's executive director pleading guilty to intentionally misapplying federal funds and was sentenced to five months in prison. Of the 36 sub-recipents of National Training and Information Center's grant, Toledo ACORN was one of two not to respond to the department's inspector general.
During the same period, the DOJ rejected five applications for grants by ACORN affiliates, the report said.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...-report-finds/
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:23 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright SaveOurState ©2009 - 2016 All Rights Reserved