Baltimore: Part 1
ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part I
The now-defunct and disgraced Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) was a massive, unaccountable taxpayer-subsidized group that the Obama Administration was using to conduct the Census, register voters and sign people up for government programs. At its height ACORN had over 500,000 members and more than 1,200 chapters in over 100 U.S. cities.
James O’Keefe, founder and President of Project Veritas, along with Hannah Giles, posed as a “pimp and prostitute” and visited an ACORN office in Baltimore, Maryland ’s seeking tax advice on how to obtain a loan to start a brothel. Astonishingly, this unusual and illegal request was not met with even the slightest hint of hesitation, as the ACORN tax expert was all too eager to give the professed “pimp and prostitute” the advice they sought. In fact, the ACORN employees in this Baltimore office went on to give advice on how to avoid the police and how not to get into trouble with an abusive pimp.
Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, the ACORN employee freely gave advice on how to claim as dependents 13 “very young” girls, purportedly trafficked from El Salvador to be prostitutes. Indeed, she went on to warn O’Keefe and Giles that: “with your girls [the aforementioned 13 underage El Salvadorian prostitutes], you tell them, be careful. Train them to keep their mouths shut. Always keep your eyes in the back of your head.” This was merely one of a plethora of horrendous, unthinkable and unconscionable statements made by the Baltimore ACORN employees
Baltimore: Part 2
ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part II
Results
President Obama Reaction
President Obama responded by saying “”What I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.” The Washington Post
ACORN Initiated an Independent Review Process
Scott Harshbarger, an attorney of Proskauer Rose and former Massachusetts Attorney General headed the review process of ACORN’s “unprofessional and inappropriate” counsel given by ACORN employees.
Washington D.C: Part 1
ACORN DC Prostitution Investigation Part I
In Part II of the ACORN Exposé, O’Keefe and Giles resumed their roles as “pimp and prostitute” and visited another ACORN office, this one in Washington D.C. seeking tax advice on how to obtain a loan to start a brothel, the funds of which would be subsequently used for a political campaign. This outlandish and illegal request was met without hesitation by an ACORN mortgage consultant and a housing employee as they instructed the professed “pimp and prostitute” to form their business as an LLC and that Hannah should consider herself a “sole proprietor.” The ACORN employees went as far as warning them to eliminate suspicion of prostitution from any neighbors: “You’ve got to be low key.”
The ludicrous situation reached new levels as the ACORN employees then insisted that the “pimp” act as a landlord and if “the police ask [about the money], you don’t know where it’s coming from.” They cautioned that if O’Keefe wanted to do anything political in the future he should distance himself from situation: “We’re looking out for both of you.” These were merely a few of the unthinkable and unconscionable statements made by the Washington D.C. ACORN employees.
Washington D.C: Part 2
ACORN DC Prostitution Investigation Part II
Results
IRS Severed ties with ACORN
Prompted by Project Veritas’ investigation, the IRS made the decision to sever ties with the government funded organization. Fox News
Census Bureau severed ties with ACORN
The Census Bureau decided to immediately cut ties with the Agency ACORN in the wake of Project Veritas’ videos. Fox News
New York: Part 1
ACORN NYC Child Prostitution Investigation Part I
In Part III of the ACORN Exposé, O’Keefe and Giles resumed their roles as “pimp and prostitute” and visited another ACORN office, this one in New York City seeking tax advice on how to obtain a loan to start a brothel, the funds of which would be subsequently used for a political campaign. ACORN Office Administrator, Milagros Rivera, advised the undercover duo to include a third party member to transfer the money from Hannah to James in order to keep the two separated and the money trail unknown: “So there would be no link there, you understand? So, you have to be very very careful with what you’re doing.” The ACORN officials went as far as freely advising Hannah on how to hide the money from an abusive pimp: “When you buy the house, with a backyard, you get a tin, and you bury it. You put the money in a tin and put it in the yard. Cover it with grass. Don’t tell a single soul but yourself where it is.” Rivera goes on to mention that to keep neighbors from the suspicion that she is burying cash, tell them she is simply keeping the yard clean.
New York: Part 2
ACORN NYC Child Prostitution Investigation Part II
Results
Investigation of ACORN opened by New York Attorney General
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of New York opened a criminal investigation of ACORN after the release of Project Veritas Video. NY Post
Impacted Culture as evidence by The Daily Show
Jon Stewart covered the ACORN story on the Daily Show in 2009. Hot Air
San Bernardino: Part 1
ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part I
In Part IV of the ACORN Exposé, O’Keefe and Giles resumed their roles as “pimp and prostitute” and visited yet another ACORN office, this time on the west coast in San Bernardino, California seeking tax advice on how to obtain a loan to start a brothel, the funds of which would be subsequently used for a political campaign. ACORN employee Tresa Kaelke was more than happy, if not ecstatic, to aid the alleged pimp and prostitute in their illegal and outrageous request: “I have experience on how not to get caught!” Kaelke tells them to disguise it [the prostitution house] as a spa or massage parlor. She proceeds to warn them that in order to make the spa look legitimate they should front it with vitamins or herbal supplies to reduce neighbors’ suspicion of illegal activity. She also advises that they work mostly with cash, as she had done with her prostitution business in the past.
Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, Kaelke then brought the “pimp and prostitute” to the home of Jim Miller who freely gave his personal advice on how match the underage girls trafficked in from El Salvador to the market based on their English vocabulary. Kaelke then promised that she would threaten Miller with his life in order to keep him from talking about the brothel: “I can kill people. I don’t have a problem with that.” These are merely just a few of the horrendous, unthinkable, and unconscionable statements made by the San Bernardino ACORN employee.
San Bernardino: Part 2
ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part II
San Bernardino: Part 3
ACORN San Bernadino Child Prostitution Investigation Part III
Results
Investigation of ACORN opened by California Attorney General
At the request of Governor Schwarzenegger, a criminal investigation into ACORN’s misconduct was opened. New York Times
Investigation opened by the US Government Accountability Office
The US Government Accountability Office opened up an investigation about the apparent mishandling of finances by ACORN. The Hill
San Diego: Part 1
ACORN San Diego Child Prostitution Smuggling Part I
In Part V of the ACORN Exposé, O’Keefe and Giles again resume their roles as “pimp and prostitute” and visited another west coast ACORN office, this one in San Diego, California seeking advice on trafficking 12 underage girls over the boarder from El Salvador for prostitution. They explained to ACORN immigration employee, Juan Carlos, that they were having difficulties getting the girls into the United States. Carlos mentioned that with his many contacts in Tijuana, Mexico, he might have someone who could aid them in their illegal activities. He listed the criteria that he would need in order to further assist the undercover O’Keefe and Giles alleged with their alleged shipment of underage girls.
Upon leaving the ACORN office, the conversation continued and Carlos went as far as to inquire about the prices of the prostitute’s services for a three-day weekend. He also reminded them to be careful and not talk to anyone about trafficking the young girls. Finally, he assured them not only that he would not tell his family members who were in the police force about the visit, but also that he would not be reprimanded by ACORN for their discussion.
San Diego: Part 2
ACORN San Diego Child Prostitution Smuggling Part II
Results
Impacted Culture as evidence by The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno made a commercial spoof mocking ACORN’s incredulous acts caught on tape by Project Veritas. Free Republic
Impacted Culture as evidence by South Park
South Park made an episode in reference to our ACORN Investigation.
Los Angeles: Part 1
ACORN: LA Story Program for Torture Victims Part I
South Central Los Angeles, Lavelle Stewart talks about Larry Flynt, international sex businesses, and ways she can do independent research in order to help us.
Los Angeles: Part 2
ACORN: LA Story Program for Torture Victims Part 2
Los Angeles: Part 3
ACORN Los Angeles Prostitution Investigation – Employee of the Year
Results
Congress Votes to Defund ACORN
Upon the release of Project Veritas’ Videos, both the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly to block federal grants to ACORN from Housing and Urban Development. Fox News
Philadelphia
ACORN Philadelphia Prostitution Investigation Part I
In this video, Katherine Conway-Russell tries to defend her actions at the ACORN Philadelphia location.
Results
The Power of Citizen Journalism
This Investigation didn’t just expose the corruption at ACORN. It also stunned the corporate media organizations by bringing to light the power of citizen journalism. The Washington Times
ACORN ceased operations
Without the funding and cooperation of the federal government, ACORN was forced to shut its doors. None of this could have been accomplished without Project Veritas’ undercover videos. The New York Times
Featured In
Major Media Coverage
9/29/09 "PJTV: How Breitbart Conquered ACORN (and the MSM)" YouTube
9/16/09 "ACORN Plans Independent Investigation"–An advocacy group under fire after employees were caught on camera appearing to advise a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp to lie about the woman's profession to get housing help said Wednesday it is ordering an independent investigation NBC News
9/16/09 "Jon Stewart to media on ACORN: 'Where the hell were you?'"–How can the national news media ignore the many allegations of corruption at ACORN, which gets millions of dollars in federal funding, and allow a couple of independents with $3,000 and a bad wardrobe scoop them on the undercover story of the year? Hot Air
9/16/09 "The sensational Giles and O’Keefe"–Who exposed this latest bit of corruption at ACORN? — The FBI? The local police? A congressional investigating committee? The mainstream media? No, no, no, no. It was a 20-year-old-girl named Hannah Giles and a 25-year-old law student and investigative journalist named James O’Keefe. The Washington Times
National Media Coverage
9/14/09 This is a transcript from "Hannity," September 11, 2009, when James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles discussed their reactions to the findings of the ACORN Investigation videos. Fox News
9/16/09 "The Collapse of ACORN"–Because federal authorities have not done much policing of ACORN, two private citizens, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, launched an undercover sting operation themselves. Fox News
9/16/09 "ACORN video 'pimp': Activist or agitator?"–The self-described advocacy journalist who made the videos that landed ACORN in trouble talks about his past pranks, and his future aspirations as a "progressive radical" producer. NBC News
9/16/09 "Acorn Confronts More Pressure Over Videos"–Federal and local authorities are considering pulling back on funding Acorn, a leading community organizing group, after videos showed employees at a number of Acorn offices allegedly advising a filmmaker how to evade taxes in operating a brothel. Wall Street Journal
9/21/09 "Acorn Who?"–The Wall Street Journal covers James O'Keefe's investigation of government funded ACORN. Wall Street Journal
10/20/09 "Both Sides Lawyer Up in Acorn Secret-Video Case"–The series of videos shot by Giles, 20 years old, and James O’Keefe, 25, playing the role of pimp, has created a firestorm of criticism and legal trouble for Acorn, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Wall Street Journal
10/16/09 "Taking On the 'Democrat-Media Complex'"–Within days of James O'Keefe publishing the video exposé, government agencies were cutting ties with the left-wing advocacy and community-organizing group. Wall Street Journal
9/18/09 "Duo in ACORN Videos Say Effort Was Independent"–O'Keefe and Giles secretly videoed ACORN workers in the District, Brooklyn and Baltimore as they coached the secret filmmakers on how to evade taxes and misrepresent the nature of their business enterprise to get into a home. Washington Post
9/21/09 "The Case for ACORN as a Criminal Enterprise"–James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, posed as a prostitute and her pimp asking ACORN for help in obtaining a mortgage so they could purchase a building they could use in their sex business, which included a number of under-age girls brought to the United States from overseas as sex workers. U.S News
9/15/09 "Conservatives Draw Blood From Acorn"–James O'Keefe poses as a pimp and secretly records visits to Acorn offices, sending government officials scrambling in recent days to sever ties with the organization The New York Times
3/20/10 "The Acorn Sting Revisited"–Conservative activist James O'Keefe pretending to be a pimp used a hidden camera and recorded Acorn employees advising him on how to conceal the source of illegal income and manage 14-year-old Salvadoran prostitutes in the country illegally. The New York Times
9/18/09 "A Political Gadfly Lampoons the Left via YouTube"–James O’Keefe's hidden camera galvanized Congress this week against the advocacy group Acorn. The New York Times
9/17/09 "ACORN sting 'pimp' is N.J. man who attended Rutgers University"–The Star Ledger reports on James O'Keefe's successes. NJ.com
9/16/09 "ACORN Watch: A "Sting"-ing Indictment of Media Hypocrisy"–Conservative documentarian James O'Keefe and writer Hannah Giles, working for the BigGovernment.com website, posed as a pimp and prostitute during visits to ACORN offices in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn Real Clear Politics
9/17/09 "ACORN Under Fire After Undercover Revelations"–ACORN exploded into the news this week with the airing of undercover interviews made by activist filmmaker James O'Keefe and aspiring journalist Hannah Giles. News Max
9/23/09 "ACORN Suspends Tax Preparation Services"–After James O'Keefe videotaped ACORN workers advising him and a young woman who accompanied him on how to run a prostitution ring and get child tax credits for underage girls, ACORN has suspended its tax-preparation assistance services and its partnership with the IRS in educating citizens tax credits and preparation. The Atlantic
9/20/09 "Did ACORN get too big for its own good?"–NBC covers the Project Veritas sting on the government funded ACORN. NBC News
Baltimore Media Coverage
9/10/09 ACORN Officials Videotaped Telling 'Pimp,' 'Prostitute' How to Lie to IRS Fox News
9/11/09 Big Government Site Tries to Take Down ACORN in Pimp-Prostitute Video Sting CBS News
9/10/09 The group ACORN has fired two employees who were seen on hidden-camera video giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman who pretended to be a prostitute. NBC News
9/10/09 Two employees at the Baltimore, Maryland, branch of the liberal community organizing group ACORN were caught on tape allegedly offering advice to a pair posing as a pimp and prostitute on setting up a prostitution ring and evading the IRS. CNN
9/12/09 A Maryland congressman called for an investigation of ACORN after a second video surfaced that appeared to show its employees offering tax advice for criminal activities, but city prosecutors say the surreptitious recordings themselves might have violated state law. The Baltimore Sun
9/22/09 The Maryland attorney general's office said Monday that it will investigate the local chapter of ACORN, a community organizing group that has come under fire with the release of secret recordings showing its employees advising a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute. The Baltimore Sun
Washington D.C Media Coverage
9/12/09 "ACORN Fires 2 in D.C. Seen on Video Advising How to Buy Home to Use as Brothel"–The nonprofit group ACORN Housing fired two employees from the organization's Southeast Washington office Friday after a video from a hidden camera showed them advising a young couple about how to buy a house to use as a brothel. The Washington Post
New York Media Coverage
9/14/09 "‘Pimp & hooker’ catch Brooklyn staff"–The scandal surrounding the left-wing activist organization ACORN has spread to New York, with employees at its Brooklyn office caught on video helping supposed ladies of the night get loans for their dream houses of ill repute. New York Post
9/16/09 "Probe into ACORN’s ‘brothel’ affair"–State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo yesterday launched an investigation into pork-barrel grants given to ACORN by state lawmakers, as City Council Speaker Christine Quinn froze all city funding earmarked for the scandal-scared community-activism organization. New York Post
San Bernardino Media Coverage
9/19/09 "Obama and Acorn–Is there a case for a special prosecutor?"–The Acorn scandal continues to mushroom. Yesterday BigGovernment.com published videos from a fourth Acorn office visit by freelance investigators James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles. Wall Street Journal
9/17/09 "ACORN Employee Says She Thought Couple Was Part of a Stunt"–Videos that show James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, posing as a pimp and a prostitute, receiving business advice from ACORN employees have drawn national media attention and placed the community organizing group in hot water. Washington Post
9/15/09 "Conservative journalists post "sting" at ACORN's San Bernardino office"–The conservative Web site Big Government.com has posted a hidden camera video showing an ACORN employee apparently agree to help James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles posing as a "pimp" and "prostitute" set up a brothel employing underage immigrants to help finance a political campaign. The Sun
San Diego Media Coverage
9/16/09 "Undercover Crew Visited Local ACORN Office"–The undercover crew at the center of an embarrassing scandal for the grass-roots organization ACORN also paid a visit to the ACORN office in National City. NBC San Diego
3/8/13 "ACORN sting victim hopes to clear name"–Juan Carlos Vera knew that the meeting he had with the purported pimp and prostitute at his National City ACORN office was strange, but had no clue just how much the secretly videotaped 2009 encounter would turn his life upside down. The San Diego Union-Tribune
Los Angeles Media Coverage
10/2/09 "ACORN under investigation in California"–ACORN SCANDAL Attorney general also weighs recordings' privacy issues SF Gate
10/2/09 "California: Acorn Investigation Opened"–At the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown's office has opened an investigation into Acorn's activities in California. The New York Times
Philadelphia Media Coverage
10/22/09 "Anti-ACORN Activists Release New Video"–Activists James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles released a new undercover video targeting the community-organizing group ACORN on Wednesday, an attempt to reignite a simmering political controversy surrounding the Democratic-leaning organization. CBS News
10/22/09 "The Acorn story isn't going away."–Undercover filmmakers James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles released a video of a sixth visit to an Acorn office this summer. Wall Street Journal
10/21/09 "Filmmakers Show Video of ACORN 'Sting' in Philadelphia"–The two independent filmmakers who posed as a pimp and a prostitute and received advice from ACORN employees in five cities on how to skirt tax and immigration laws claim the community organizer group lied when it said the pair were shown the door without receiving assistance from staffers in its Philadelphia office. Fox News
10/26/09 "ACORN Scandals Grow & Grow"–When two college students pretending to be a prostitute and her pimp sought help from ACORN employees, staffers couldn’t do enough for them as the two claimed to be importing underage girls to work as ladies of the evening. Accuracy in Media