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®www.acorn.org
MEDIA RELEASEImmediate Release:
December 7, 2009
Contact:
Kevin Whelan, (612)-388-8026 /kwhelan@acorn.org
Harshbarger report on ACORN videos: No illegal conductACORN leaders embrace recommendations of “roadmap forreform and renewal”
An independent report examining the undercover videos filmed in offices of the nationalanti-poverty group ACORN states the employees portrayed in the videos did
not 
engage inany illegal activity. The report by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger calls for theorganization to take nine steps to strengthen its management and oversight structures aspart of a “roadmap for reform and renewal” in order to regain public trust shaken by thevideo controversy.“The report is part vindication, part constructive criticism and 100% roadmap to thefuture,” ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said. “ACORN’s leadership is pleased that this evaluationshows even the low-level employees portrayed in the videos did
not 
engage in any illegalactivity or seek to encourage it,” Mr. Harshbarger was tough but fair in examining whereACORN has been and what we still need to accomplish in having the most effective possibleorganization to fight for the interests of the communities we represent--low and moderateincome, African American and Latino families across America.”Harshbarger’s report states: “While some of the advice and counsel given by ACORNemployees and volunteers was clearly inappropriate and unprofessional, we did not find apattern of intentional, illegal conduct by ACORN staff; in fact, there is no evidence thataction, illegal or otherwise, was taken by any ACORN employee on behalf of thevideographers (pg 2 -3).” The report contains nine recommendations (page 3) for improving ACORN’s managementand six comments on the videos (page 12). The report notes on page 11 that “The videosthat have been released appear to have been edited, in some cases substantially, includingthe insertion of a substitute voiceover for significant portions of Mr. O’Keefe’s and Ms.Giles’s comments, which makes it difficult to determine the questions to which ACORNemployees are responding. A comparison of the publicly available transcripts to thereleased videos confirms that large portions of the original video have been omitted fromthe released versions.”
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over the curb

i left two comments on here, and you took them off, cause it didnt favor any thing your report had to say, way to go miss lewis, you are really showing me what your acorn is all about.

reply12 / 08 / 2009
over the curb

you have the nerve to say that was a honest report, your people didnt act on illegal action, because they were on the air before they could, give me a reason ms lewis why i should give you any more money?you paided to have that report in your favor, they should be in jail, all your people that was on them tapes. just for the record ms. lewis, i,m a democrat, and sure as hell dont want you to get a

reply12 / 08 / 2009
over the curb

sure, you didnt do any thing(ACORN)just broke the law in your place,s of bussiness,s,and you hire some one to say how clean you are-WHAT A JOKE, you all should be in jail, i sure as hell dont want my tax money going to you any more,

reply12 / 08 / 2009
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