Bachmann Applauds IRS’ Decision to Sever Ties with ACORN and Urges Further Action

Representative Michele Bachmann

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06), a former federal tax attorney, today praised the IRS’ decision to sever ties with ACORN and its involvement in the volunteer tax assistance program:

“I applaud the IRS for dropping ACORN from participation in the volunteer tax assistance program,” said Bachmann. “ACORN has proven time and time again that it is either unable or unwilling to ensure that it operates with high ethical standards. The IRS’ action yesterday is one step in the right direction, but there is more that the IRS should do. There is ample evidence of ACORN’s abuse of the public trust and the IRS should determine if it should continue to enjoy the privilege of tax-exemption.”

On September 11, 2009, Bachmann sent a letter to the IRS requesting that it immediately revoke ACORN’s current tax exempt status. A copy of the letter is below:

September 11, 2009

The Honorable Douglas Shulman
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20224

Dear Commissioner Shulman,

This week, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an organization that has received more than $53 million in direct federal funding since 1994, once again made unsavory headlines.

On Wednesday, FBI and state authorities charged 11 ACORN employees with voter registration fraud in Miami, Florida. In this case, of 1,400 registration cards collected by these employees, 888 were found to be falsified. A day later, two Baltimore-based ACORN workers were caught on camera giving advice to a couple, whom they believed were opening a brothel, on avoiding taxes, seeking HUD grants, and setting up a prostitution ring as a legitimate business. Today, yet another video surfaced showing two more ACORN employees assisting this couple under the same premise in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, the past week brought to light further evidence that ACORN either cannot or will not enforce even the most basic standards of ethical behavior amongst its employees. This is not something that should be new and surprising to anyone who has seen the plethora of headlines about criminal investigations, indictments, and consent decrees in more than a dozen states.

For instance, just four months ago, Nevada authorities filed criminal charges against ACORN and two former employees for voter registration fraud. Authorities alleged that ACORN had policies requiring employees in Las Vegas to sign up 20 new voters per day or be fired, a violation of state quota laws. In January 2009, a voter registration worker for ACORN in East St. Louis was indicted on two counts of voter fraud for submitting forged cards for residents at nursing homes without their knowledge. In October 2008, reports emerged that a Philadelphia man was charged with forgery, allegedly altering 18 voter registration applications. That same month, an ACORN worker in Washington State was convicted of helping to register nearly 2,000 voters who did not exist.

Despite ACORN’s pleas that this is just a few bad apples, it’s clear that the problems exist on a systemic level. In fact, Nevada’s Democrat attorney general, Catherine Cortez Masto, said earlier this year that ACORN’s own training manuals “clearly detail, condone and require illegal acts.” The new videos that surfaced this week provide a clear glimpse into the behind-the-scenes activities occurring in ACORN offices across our nation.

So long as this dark cloud of suspicion is hanging over ACORN, this organization should no longer enjoy the privilege of tax-exempt status. Evidence that it has abused taxpayer dollars continues to mount and the IRS should strip this organization and its affiliates from its current tax-exempt status immediately. And, if this is not action that the IRS intends to take, I respectfully request a response from you as to the reasons that the IRS deems such actions to be unwarranted.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your prompt reply. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my Legislative Director, Jessica Perry, at 202-225-2331 should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Michele Bachmann, Member of Congress ###