slush fund? really?

Below is a press release regarding patently false allegations by Rep. Weldon (R-Fla) that ACORN would have received a "slush fund" from the failed bailout plan, which has been blowing up all over the news, including here. Alas, if only that were true, a certain head organizer would get reimbursements. And would be able to buy toner any old time it was needed. Not to mention hire more staff.

On Sept. 27, ACORN responded to Florida Republican Congressman Dave Weldon's false allegations Friday that ACORN would be a beneficiary of housing funds from the financial bailout plan pending in Congress. In a news release headlined, “Chairman Frank Wants to Funnel $100 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Corrupt Liberal Housing Group,” Weldon made a series of inaccurate and outrageous charges against ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).

Weldon claims ACORN will benefit through a proposal from leading Democrats to address America’s affordable housing crisis by directing monies to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF). The NHTF was set up for the production, preservation, rehabilitation, or operation of rental housing to assist low-income households. ACORN is a national leader in the arena of affordable housing, tackling problems from predatory lending to affordable housing policy. However, ACORN neither builds, rehabilitates, nor manages housing and would not be a recipient of NHTF funds. Congressman Weldon’s statements are outright false.

“Under the Housing Trust Fund, no group is guaranteed any grants, said ACORN President Maude Hurd. “The funds will be awarded on a competitive, merit-based process administered by non-partisan career employees of the relevant agencies. Apparently, Republicans don’t know how federal grants are awarded. But why would they, since they are only familiar with non-bid contracts, like those awarded to Halliburton.”

ACORN members contend that Rep. Weldon and his Republican counterparts are causing the financial implosion because of their deregulatory policies.

“When the Republican administration relaxed the rules, predatory lending practices skyrocketed, sending our economy soaring out of control and landing in this current financial crisis,” Hurd said.

“ACORN applauds the efforts of Congressman Frank and Senator Dodd to tighten the rules and get the economy back on track,” Hurd said. “That starts with the creation of high quality, affordable housing for working families. And who better to build these homes than qualified and experienced non-profit housing developers? How much affordably housing has Rep. Weldon built, and what programs does he suggest for housing low income families in his district?”

Weldon also includes the following falsehoods in his release:

· Accusing Democrats of pushing for taxpayer funding of ACORN, a non tax-exempt advocacy organization that has a policy of not accepting government funds.

· Asserting unproven “voter fraud” charges against ACORN voter registration work, repeating Republican talking points from earlier this week. On Monday and Wednesday, respectively, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee conducted press conferences attempting to smear ACORN’s voter registration work in Florida and other battleground states. As facts emerged through the course of the week, those slanderous allegations proved unsubstantiated. The last time conservative forces tried to accuse Florida ACORN of voter fraud, in 2004, ACORN won a counterclaim of defamation in court.