By April MacIntyre Sep 24, 2009, 14:18 GMT
Two intrepid filmmakers took initiative and went undercover to expose the corruption rampant in ACORN, and their filmed efforts have created an avalanche of reaction from the IRS, Census Bureau and lawmakers who have cut off the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which had been receiving federal money to fund their group.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. “A few people have embarrassed ACORN,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said, referring to the employees captured on the video. “We have to have our own investigation.” EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
Now ACORN is suing James O'Keefe, the "pimp" in the videos that exposed ACORN workers advising O'Keefe and his "prostitute" Hannah Giles on how to beat the system by lying.
O'Keefe posed as a pimp and covertly filmed ACORN officials in five separate locations discussing how they could set up a brothel with underage girls from El Salvador while avoiding to pay any taxes. The ACORN staff didn't bat an eye as they coached the "pimp" and his "prostitute" how to word documents to cover up their illegal activity.
ACORN is now suing the filmmakers and Andrew Breitbart for posting the video on his news website.
Since the videos, Congress has ended ACORN's funding.
NBC news interviewed O'Keefe, who described himself as a "progressive radical" who was eager to continue his undercover work exposing corruption.
NBC also aired audio of O'Keefe who had reportedly called Planned Parenthood and tried to make a donation fund abortions African American babies. "There's way too many black people in Ohio, so I'm just trying to do my part," he told a staffer. Her response, "Whatever." Then she hung up.
ACORN's is using the "Linda Tripp" laws of Maryland to file their multimillion dollar suit by claiming the audio portion of the video was obtained illegally because Maryland law requires the consent of both parties to record private conversations.
According to the suit, the filmed ACORN employees Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams were fired and now claim they suffer "extreme emotional distress with attendant physical symptoms and injury to their reputations."
According to the Associated Press, Andrew Brietbart said he would respond with his lawyer to a request for comment, and that he "looked forward to a lawsuit because he expects unsavory details about ACORN to be unearthed in the discovery process."
The lawsuit claims O'Keefe's undercover video damaged ACORN's reputation and asks for injunctions barring its further broadcast or distribution. It seeks $2 million in compensatory damages — $1 million for ACORN and $500,000 for each of the two former employees — as well as $1 million in punitive damages from each of the three defendants.
Andrew D. Freeman, an attorney for ACORN, Thompson and Williams, said, "While everyone, including them, agrees that some of the things they said were dumb, in Maryland we have a right to say dumb things in the privacy of our homes and offices without fear of being taped and without fear of being splashed all over the Internet."
ACORN claims it is the nation's largest advocacy group for the poor.
NBC interviews O'Keefe:
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Bill O'Reilly of FOX takes on Rep. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts over the ACORN scandal:
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