Non-Profit Raided In Voter Fraud Probe

Questions Raised About ACORN’s Voter Registration Drive

(CBS)  CBS News Investigative Producers Pia Malbran and Wendy Krantz wrote this story for CBSNews.com.

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The Las Vegas headquarters of the nation’s largest grassroots community organization for low-income people was raided today by Nevada state authorities as part of a voter-fraud probe.

The raid was initiated by Nevada’s Secretary of State, Ross Miller, after a series of accusations that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, also known as ACORN, was submitting voter registration lists to the state that contained false or duplicate names of voters.

“When we got [to the headquarters], no one was there so, there were no arrests,” Secretary of State spokesman Bob Walsh told CBS News. But, he added “agents did seize lots of records.”

CBS News has learned that the state’s investigation is focusing on the conduct of ACORN’s work force. Critics allege that ACORN hires workers “off the street” to sign up new voters, paying them by the number of voters registered - sometimes resulting in false and duplicate names. But an ACORN spokesman dismisses this allegation and told CBS News that workers are paid “by the hour” and “not by the number of people they sign up.”

In an official statement, ACORN Interim Chief Organizer, Bertha Lewis, called today’s raid “a stunt” and said it “serves no useful purpose other than discredit our work registering Nevadans and distracting us from the important work ahead of getting every eligible voter to the polls.” Lewis says any time ACORN “identified a potentially fraudulent application” they notified election officials. But, Lewis claims Nevada election officials “routinely ignored” ACORN’s concerns and “failed to act.”

The raid comes two months after state and federal officials formed a task force to go after election-fraud allegations. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey issued a memo to all Justice Department employees telling them in no uncertain terms that “politics must play no role in our efforts.”

ACORN has been around since the 1970’s and has offices nationwide to assist low-income people with a number of issues. Part of the organization’s mission is to help low-income Americans, minorities, and youth, who are “historically disenfranchised” from voting register for elections. ACORN’s website says they “helped more than 1.68 million citizens register to vote” for the 2004 and 2006 elections. And just yesterday, ACORN announced it had conducted its “largest and most comprehensive” voter drive for the upcoming presidential election helping “over 1.3 million Americans register to vote.”

[barbarjf]

I want 60 minutes to do a story on William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright and ACORN. Since Obama followed and worked with these groups for many years, he must have felt and believed their philosophy. I want the people to see what fundamental changes Obama wants to make in our country. The changes very well may be what his past fellowships have preached to him for all those years. His judgement should also be questioned. After the public knows about Ayers and Wright and ACORN''s background, let them decide if he Obama was keeping good company. I personally would not go to a church where the pastor spoke of hatred. I would not become friends or work for someone who hates the USA so much to bomb and kill people and wish he did more.
Who stomps on the American flag, what kind of a moron is he. Or what kind of a moron would befriend and work with such losers. So, 60 minutes, do a story about these three mentioned above and let the American public decide what they think about Obama''s judgement. Do this story before the election, please.

[republcnred1]

This is to Ms homespunlady...to answer your question about how many states have a BAN on homeless Vets?
NONE!
Please go do your homework while waiting on your government check you think that is owed you.

[republcnred1]

Indianaman you need to check you history.. the S&L fiasco was set in motion by none other that that good ole peanut farmer! Do you know who that was?...oh probably not since he "wasn''t qualified" to even run that.

[republcnred1]

The non-profit is called ACORN!!!!!!!!!!!You talk about biased reporting?....What are you afraid of CBS?...afraid that the DNC will cancel your Democratic voting privliges?.....or that Rainbow Push will boycott ya''ll?? gees. what a bunch of panty waisted slime balls.

[jef555-2009]

why has`nt CBS aired the voter fraud story? i see it on line, but why not on TV? CRITICS SAY IT`S BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN HAS WITH ACORN-WE`RE TALIKNG ABOUT 20,000 VOTES SO FAR! IT`S TIME TO BE FAIR TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ABOUT THIS ILLEGAL ACTIVITY!

[starleo146]

America, the land of the free----REALLY!!!!!Only if you don''t interfere with my plans. Then I will stop you right or wrong, it is more important I survive than you---Signed American government, who should be for the people by the people, but only if you are in big business, Wall street , and to me said the government is all that matters.So hush up PEOPLE let us do our thing,Don''t let them vote, throw them out of there homes, take their retirement money, let us go on a resort vacation after you the people gave us 85 billion and have to give us more ,you don''t the the tangles we weave we do, so hush up America and let your government destroy you

[indianaman13]

Centuries past in places with Kings and serfs, only people with land could vote or have a say in politics. America did away with such tactics because of the inherent corruption and abuse of power associated with such acts and laws. We are supposed to be progressing towards a brighter more fair future. Anyone remember "All men are created equal with certain unalienable rights endowed to them by their creator, that among those are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We are a democracy, not a monarchy with only a small circle of people with money and land.

[indianaman13]

Oneamerica7 you want to attack obama and call him a socialist? what about McCain and his ties to the Israel lobby? Why would another country pay a politician to get into office? What about McCain''s ties to Finance and Banking insiders? Who has hurt more Americans? McCain obviously with his involvement with Reagan''s saving and loan scandal. Reagan was for deregulation, got it done, and cost the taxpayers 160 billion. What about McCain''s involvement in Bush''s push for deregulation, which is going to cost the public 700 billion and tanked the world economy. You can call helping the middle class socialism trying to whip up propoganda like a nazi, but i call helping my fellow american just being a good neighbor and what a politician is supposed to do, help the people, not just his business and personal interests.

[mbourn2]

Amendment 26 - Voting Age Set to 18 Years. Ratified 7/1/1971. History

1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
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Only a fool would think that the Constitution requires that we take peoples word for it that they are a citizen or that they have not already voted...

[ubrew12]

Its time Obama supporters joined me:

No gambling in Nevada.

Vote with your pocketbook.

[ubrew12]

Hear me, Nevada.

I''ll gamble somewhere else.

I won''t stand for your Gestapo police tactics to discourage Obama supporters from registering voters.

The heck with you, the heck with Las Vegas, and I hope you all drown in a sea of red ink. I''ve got plenty of gambling opportunities closer to home.

[homespunlady]

HOW MANY states now in effect BAN HOMELESS VETS FROM VOTING because of their "elitist" GOP pushed RESIDENCY DEMANDS??

[homespunlady]

GOP -
the party that believes HARD WORKING people that LOSE their HOMES (many of which did so from OVERWHELMING MEDICAL BILLS)and HOMELESS VETERANS SHOULDN''T be ALLOWED to VOTE because they have no CURRENT or "verifiable" ADDRESS!!!

Goes to show what they REALLY think of our VETERANS!

Go FIGHT and get a few LIMBS blown off or messed up from the TRAUMA of WAR but don''t you DARE try to vote if you DON''T HAVE "PROPERTY" after we''re THROUGH WITH YOU!!!

[clovisbuford]

Does any of this sound familiar? You''''re all running right back to Bush by voting for Obama.
Posted by lottobee at 11:59 PM : Oct 08, 2008
ya gotta laugh at this troll , voting against another 4 yr term of bussh by voting for republicans who promise you more of the same , is actually a vote for bush .. the sun comes up inthe west .... night is day , blue is red ..etc.. a little desperate sounds like to me

[homespunlady]

Speaking of OUTRAGEOUS SCANDALS!!!!!

Will AIG hold ANOTHER POST "BAIL-OUT "nearly half-Million dollar" TAXPAYER PAID CELEBRATION PARTY at ANOTHER "exclusive" RESORT and invite someone ELSE on the GOP ticket other than Palin as GUEST OF (dis)HONOR this time now that they''re getting MORE BAIL-OUT MONEY from PAULSON and the NEO-CONTROLLERS of the COLLAPSING ECONOMY?

[jot1239]

cornbluth I for one am not saying this is Obama organization. It is full known Obama at one time was Acorns lawyer and as a community organized he was a trainer for them. And also last quarter his campaign gave an organization named Citizens Services a 800,000 check for services connected with one of his speeches lighting and sound which later the campaign amended the reports as it came out that citizen service did not have lighting or sound equipment to supply. By the was Citizens services is a part of Acorn

[jot1239]

cornbluth I for one am not saying this is Obama organization. It is full known Obama at one time was Acorns lawyer and as a community organized he was a trainer for them. And also last quarter his campaign gave an organization named Citizens Services a 800,000 check for services connected with one of his speeches lighting and sound which later the campaign amended the reports as it came out that citizen service did not have lighting or sound equipment to supply. By the was Citizens services is a part of Acorn

[homespunlady]

If you want to know the REAL scoop on the various kinds of ways REAL VOTE FRAUD and SUPPRESSION takes place I recommend the people and articles over on Blackboxvoting.ORG they''ve been doing a great job of "keeping them honest" with what few resources they do have.

I''m SURE they would appreciate volunteers and more "observers" exposing ALL the "creative methods" that are being used to skew the REAL vote count.

[homespunlady]

Posted by LoveMyGOP at 08:55 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Probably the SAME regulations that barred numerous CHURCHES from doing the SAME THING from the PULPIT.

I was amazed that the likes of Hagee, Falwell and Robertson could BREAK those laws and get away with it yet HOWL like crazy if ONE HOMELESS PERSON DARED TO VOTE!

Sheesh... talk about your HYPOCRITICAL Sodomites!

[lottobee]

Obama is about to pull off the slickest deception ever perpetrated. He''s the Pied Piper poised to take his followers over the cliff. He pushes all the right buttons and the novice and naive voters are ready to pull the lever that will take him to the top of the mountain. And what will he do when he gets there? First of all, he doesn''t know a dog-gonned thing about running this country -- except what his handlers have told him to say. So he''ll be 2 years in training. Then, when he finds out the sad shape this country is really in ---- none of his programs will ever get off the ground because there''s no money for all those pipe dreams. And just wait and see what a battle he''ll have with the Congress for the next 4 years. His healthcare proposals will be a debacle beyond belief. If you''ve ever been involved with corporate management and spent months wrangling with top execs over which healthcare plan to choose --- you would understand that you can''t even get 10 people to agree on a healthcare package --- never mind trying to get a majority in Congress to agree on anything --- much less a healthcare plan. There will be 4 years of constant bickering and all the other programs will fall by the wayside. Then Obama will have a brainstorm --- to send our troops to Africa, South Africa, to end the bloodshed there --- and he will establish his legacy. Does any of this sound familiar? You''re all running right back to Bush by voting for Obama.