ACORN Chief Dodges Congressman's Call to Come Before Congress
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, presses chief organizer Bertha Lewis to prove her commitment to reforming the community activist group by showing more transparency.
FOXNews.com
Monday, September 21, 2009
ACORN chief organizer Bertha Lewis talks on "FOX News Sunday" Sept. 20. (FNS)
ACORN's top officer on Sunday dodged repeated calls to come before Congress and testify about the embattled group's finances and ties to other organizations.
Rep.Darrell Issa, R-Calif., ranking Republican on the House Oversight andGovernment Reform Committee, had pressed chief organizer Bertha Lewisto prove her commitment to reforming the community activist group byshowing more transparency.
"The bottom line is there's no transparency in ACORN," Issa said on "FOX News Sunday."
Thepressure comes in the wake of controversy over a series ofhidden-camera videotapes showing the organization's employees offeringadvice to undercover filmmakers posing as a pimp and prostitute. ACORNhas pledged to investigate its offices and workers.
"Internally, let's have some reform," Lewis said. "It's indefensible what I saw (in the tapes)."
But she refused to answer Issa's request to come before his committee.
Issa challenged Lewis to provide full disclosure to Congress on the "firewalls" in place to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not going toward political activities.
"Thereis no God-given right for any organization to receive a grant from theAmerican people. The fact is there are organizations standing in linethat wish they won instead of you, and they're giving us thetransparency so we can have the confidence the money is spent only forthe purpose of the grant," Issa said.
Lewis said her organization has "firewalls" to prevent non-political money from going toward political purposes, but Issa said that's not true.
"Youshouldn't get another penny of federal dollars until you demonstratethat those dollars are firewalled for only that use, and that has notbeen the history of the organization," Issa said.
Pressed again on whether she would open her books to Congress, Lewis said: "I am willing to do the work that I need to do every single day, not be distracted, make sure that things that we do well we beef up, and things that we don't do so well that we change and we reform."
Lewis,meanwhile, was trying to calm a growing firestorm over the behavior ofher group's employees. Allegations of voter registration fraud andother ethical lapses have plagued ACORN for years, but the videotapeswere the last straw for the group's critics -- as well as its long-timedefenders.
The videotapes, filmed by two conservative activists, led to both the House and Senate voting to de-fund ACORN last week. Many Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measures.
Lewisinitially took a defiant tone against the criticism of her organizationwhen the first tapes were made public by filmmaker James O'Keefe. Butthat stance softened as more tapes were revealed, detailinghidden-camera operations at five separate locations across the country.
"Anyorganization is not entirely perfect," Lewis said on "FOX News Sunday.""I was outraged by it. Everyone should be, and I can understand how theCongress was also."
She said any employee "too stupid" not to adhere to professional standards will be terminated.
President Obama, in an interview broadcast Sunday, said he favors an investigation into ACORN. At the same time, he played down the controversy, saying it is not the "biggest issue facing the country."
The ACORN fallout came after employees in the secret videotapes were seen offering advice on how O'Keefe and his partner could skirt anti-prostitution and tax laws -- by lying about their occupation, claiming underage sex workers as "dependents" and using other means of deception.
Soonafter the controversy erupted, Lewis released a statement suggestingrace was behind an attempt by conservative critics to "destroy" ACORN.ACORN provides assistance to low-income and often minority communities.
Lewis claimed the tapes were "doctored" and threatened to sue FOX News -- which broadcast the tapes but did not produce them -- and others.
Butafter Lewis claimed O'Keefe tried the same "scam" in many otherlocations and failed, O'Keefe continued to release more tapes in morelocations showing ACORN workers giving him and his partner helpfuladvice.
Last week, Lewis reversed. She said ACORN would conduct an internal review and put a halt on much of the group's community activity.
Lewis said on "FOX News Sunday" that the group would name an auditor Monday.
