ACORN, the community organizing group unfairly demonized by political conservatives who hoped its tenuous ties to Barack Obama would taint the president and undermine his ability to govern, will be out of business by April 1. Those opposed to the group and its aims on ideological grounds already are proclaiming the closing as proof that their charges of widespread illegal activity were valid. They give themselves too much credit.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now did have problems, but they did not occur because of a liberal conspiracy or as the result of an illicit enterprise. Despite repeated attempts by political operatives to demonstrate that ACORN was a “criminal conspiracy” engaged in “systemic fraud,” nothing of the kind was ever proved. There were, to be sure, some questionable activities, but most were the result of poor management and lack of oversight rather than criminal content.
ACORN, by its own admission, was the victim of an embezzlement caper orchestrated by a family member of the organization’s founder, That event was widely publicized by association opponents. Not surprisingly, the fact that $1 million was recovered was barely reported. The organization admitted it failed to properly oversee some voter registration drives – and paid a high price in public confidence as a result.
Most damaging to ACORN, though, were videos showing two ACORN employees telling two conservative activists posing as a pimp and a prostitute how to hide criminal acts from authorities. The videos were a death blow to an organization already in trouble. The exposure prompted various agencies and organizations – including the Internal Revenue Service and the Census Bureau – to end contracts with ACORN. Subsequent investigation, however, concluded that ACORN employees in the video had not taken part in any criminal activity. The vindication came too late.
By the time that occurred, ACORN already was deep in debt and had little hope of righting its financial affairs. Its self-inflicted wounds, exacerbated by conservative attacks, proved too great to overcome. Closure was inevitable. Only the official date remained to be determined.
The troubled end of ACORN should not tarnish the association’s overall record of achievement during its decades-long existence. It provided invaluable assistance to many poor communities by building relationships with government agencies, banks, utility companies and other groups able to help those who wanted nothing more than to share in the American dream of owning a good home and sending their children to good schools. That work, hopefully, will continue.
Many of ACORN’s closed or soon-to-close state and local affiliates appear to have learned from the parent organization’s fall. They hope to reorganize – under new names – and to continue to help the poor through voter drives and neighborhood improvement programs. That remains work well worth doing.