Obama's ACORN Connections Summary

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 campaign spokesman Ben Porritt released the following statement:

"Given his deep and longstanding ties to ACORN, Barack Obama must immediately come clean with the American people about his relationship with the left-wing, activist organization.  Already under investigation for voter fraud in 14 states, ACORN's illegal activities threaten to undermine the integrity of our democratic process.  Barack Obama's association with ACORN demonstrates stunningly bad judgment and troubling blind ambition."

The Facts

• Barack Obama started working with ACORN in 1992.
• "What's more, Obama worked as executive director of ACORN's voter-registration arm, Project Vote, in 1992."  (Editorial, "Is ACORN Stealing The Election?" Investor's Business Daily, 10/8/08)
• Barack Obama was ACORN's lawyer.
• "The latest wave of ACORN investigations has provided Republicans with both an opening to assail an old foe, and a new line of criticism to use against the Democratic presidential nominee, who represented ACORN in a lawsuit in the 1990s."  (Alexander Burns, "ACORN Gives GOP New Line Of Attack," Politico, 10/11/08)
• Barack Obama trained ACORN staff.
• "At the time, Talbot worked at the social action group ACORN and initially considered Obama a competitor.  But she became so impressed with his work that she invited him to help train her staff."  (Letta Tayler and Keith Herbert, "Obama Forged Path As Chicago Community Organizer," Los Angeles Times, 3/2/08)
• When Barack Obama was on the board-of-directors of The Woods Fund, ACORN received $190,000 in grants from the organization.
• (Donors Forum Website, ifs.donorsforum.org, Accessed 6/10/08)
• Barack Obama's campaign paid over $800,000 to an ACORN affiliate for "get-out-to-vote" efforts.
• "U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign paid more than $800,000 to an offshoot of the liberal Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for services the Democrat's campaign says it mistakenly misrepresented in federal reports."  (David M. Brown, "Obama To Amend Report On $800,000 In Spending," Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8/22/08)
• ACORN's Political Action Committee endorsed Barack Obama.
• "ACORN's Political Action Committee, ACORN Votes, announced Feb. 21 that it had endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President."  (ACORN, "ACORN's Political Action Committee Endorses Obama," Press Release, 2/21/08)