The American Spectator

The Spectacle Blog

ACORN's problems long were evident even before ACORN members were giving advice on how to take tax deductions for employing underage El Salvadoran prostitutes.  So serious are those problems that--wonder of wonders!--even the Washington Post now has noticed.

Reports the Post:

The liberal political organizing group ACORN faced internal chaos and allegations of financial mismanagement and fraud long before two young conservatives embarrassed the group with undercover videos made at field offices in Washington and across the country.

Internal ACORN documents show an organization in turmoil as last year's presidential election approached, with a board torn over how to handle embezzlement by the founder's brother and growing concern that donor money and pension funds had been plundered in the insider scheme.

Minutes from a meeting ACORN held in Los Angeles last summer reveal a group then on the brink of financial collapse. "Currently owe over $800k to IRS," the minutes note. "Haven't paid medical bills of over $300k. We are essentially 'broke' nationally and lots of offices are struggling."

Some top ACORN officials tried to shield the scheme, which involved Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN founder Wade Rathke. "Leadership has no faith in staff. Wade betrayed them," the minutes said.

There's something almost too delicious for words about a self-styled "social justice" organization which does not pay the medical bills of its workers.  Or its taxes--its contribution supposedly for our collective good.  A few years ago ACORN even sued the state of California attempting to avoid paying the minimum wage because, well, they said they were so busy promoting social justice that they just couldn't afford to take care of their own workers.  Rather like unions which attempt to prevent their own workers from unionizing.

You know ACORN is bad when, as Matthew Vadum points out, even Jon Stewart points to the mainstream media's enormous failure in discovering the facts and covering the story.