Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog

Well the New York Times has a story on the subject, how about that:

The undercover videos showed a scantily dressed young woman, Hannah Giles, posing as a prostitute, while a young man, James O’Keefe, played her pimp. They visited Acorn offices in Baltimore, Washington, Brooklyn and San Bernardino, Calif., candidly describing their illicit business and asking the advice of Acorn workers. Among other questions, they asked how to buy a house to use as a brothel employing under-age girls from El Salvador.

Mr. O’Keefe, 25, a filmmaker and conservative activist, was dressed so outlandishly that he might have been playing in a risqué high school play. But in the footage made public — initially by a new Web site, BigGovernment.com — Acorn employees raised no objections to the criminal plans. Instead, they eagerly counseled the couple on how to hide their activities from the authorities, avoid taxes and make the brothel scheme work.

The Article has a bit of a slant, I wouldn’t expect otherwise but at least reports the basic facts. It was accessible on their web site as the 3rd article on the politics page. I don’t know if it is in the paper proper.

The AP has a video story up:

An a “print” story that we take from the Kansas City Star:

A Republican lawmaker wants the Justice Department to investigate ACORN, the embattled community organizing group.

Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska wrote Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday requesting the investigation. He cites reports that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now may “have been engaged in illegal activity.”

There are several stories in the NY papers concerning scrambling in the State Legislature:

In the State Senate, Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) called for a halt of any state funding to ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), the affiliated New York Agency for Community Affairs, and other groups doing business with them. “The possibility that our tax dollars are being misused for potential criminal activities must be investigated and the flow of tax money must be stopped,” Skelos wrote in a letter asking Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to freeze all funding to the group.

ACORN and its affiliates were slated to receive about $500,000 in the 2009-10 budget, largely through grants from the legislature’s Democratic majorities to aid homeowners facing foreclosure. No funds have yet been allocated, the comptroller said.

A source familiar with ACORN’s state funding said Cuomo would not approve new contracts until the conclusion of a separate criminal probe by the Brooklyn district attorney.

Considering California’s budget issues I can’t see how their local funding survives.

Yesterday I thought the Senate vote would be meaningless because the house will back them up. Now I’m not so sure. If the house votes to go after Wilson and ignore Acorn they it is going to be a disaster.

Update: Glenn agrees that the times story is “surprisingly complete and fair“.