ACORN commits fraud in Michigan
posted at 7:28 am on September 15, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The pattern of ACORN’s voter-registration fraud continues in Michigan. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Secretary of State has supplied evidence to the US Attorney’s office for potential prosecution after getting complaints from registrars about duplicate registrations and obviously made-up names on others, almost all from ACORN’s paid staff:
Several municipal clerks across the state are reporting fraudulent and duplicate voter registration applications, most of them from a nationwide community activist group working to help low- and moderate-income families.
The majority of the problem applications are coming from the group ACORN, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which has a large voter registration program among its many social service programs. ACORN’s Michigan branch, based in Detroit, has enrolled 200,000 voters statewide in recent months, mostly with the use of paid, part-time employees.
“There appears to be a sizeable number of duplicate and fraudulent applications,” said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office. “And it appears to be widespread.”
The spokesman for ACORN says that they’ll “do an investigation”, but after dozens of complaints in several states — most of them battleground states in presidential elections — the pattern certainly has established itself. Either the leadership of ACORN encourages fraud, or it hasn’t the competence to keep it from happening. Given the convictions of some of its workers for fraud and the continuing instances of it, it doesn’t appear that ACORN has any desire to stop fraud, and indeed operates for the purpose of committing it.
The Department of Justice needs to open a RICO probe into ACORN. The RICO statutes make the leaders of a criminal enterprise personally responsible for the crimes committed by its members. If the DoJ can establish that ACORN management has encouraged fraudulent practices from the top down, that puts it within RICO territory. The repetition of their fraud in multiple jurisdictions make it clear that it’s not just coincidence at work here.
Once again, this calls into question why Barack Obama pays ACORN for his GOTV efforts. With criminal investigations underway in several states and now hopefully a federal investigation about to start, Obama shows extremely poor judgment in associating himself with such fraud — as well as paying $800,000 to fund it, unwittingly or not. As President, he would have the responsibility for enforcing voter-fraud laws. This doesn’t give much indication that he’d act to do so. So much for being a reformer.
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par for the course with Barry Hussein……Hope and Change!
SDarchitect on September 15, 2008 at 7:31 AM
Brief OT, Ed. Keep an eye on the NY Post story Drudge has liked to on Obama.
Connie on September 15, 2008 at 7:33 AM
linked to…sorry
Connie on September 15, 2008 at 7:33 AM
This may be Obama’s missing executive experience. Decisions. Leadership. Actions. Accomplishments.
horatio on September 15, 2008 at 7:34 AM
Seriously… can anyone tell me why this entire organization and Obama are not spending time in a federal prison?
It’s not as if this stuff isn’t common knowledge at this point. What do we have to do to get the feds to FINALLY prosecute this stuff?
Damiano on September 15, 2008 at 7:35 AM
NO! could this be true?!?!?!
Maybe someone will now have the cahones to insist we see the Annenburg Files and NObama’s Columbia transcripts.
We know his media hounds sure wont help.
Robyn S on September 15, 2008 at 7:35 AM
And this isn’t reported in the MSM because……
el hombre on September 15, 2008 at 7:37 AM
But they’re just Community Organizers. I wonder if Jesus worked for ACORN.
Josiah on September 15, 2008 at 7:41 AM
Would it be possible to cancel out all registrations taken in by ACORN, given the huge level of fraud already documented?
MarkTheGreat on September 15, 2008 at 7:43 AM
yeah, biggest shocker of the day. :-O
bloghooligan on September 15, 2008 at 7:43 AM
Brief OT, Ed. Keep an eye on the NY Post story Drudge has liked to on Obama.
Connie on September 15, 2008 at 7:33 AM
link to Post story here
WTF! This idiot is completely out of line and out of control. He has zero authority to take this kind of action and make these types of statements.
Heck with ACORN… why is Obama not being tried for treason?
On other news- MORE OF THE SAME… EVERYTHING IS BUSH’S FAULT, SO BLAME MCCAIN.
Gee… how did I know this statement was coming.
Damiano on September 15, 2008 at 7:45 AM
By the time ACORN gets done, we’re going to end up needing retina or fingerprints scans to vote.
Connie on September 15, 2008 at 7:46 AM
Since they are not electronic voting machines or Republicans, these problems will be ignored by the Lefties who would otherwise scream to the sky about how awful it is the vote is not accurate.
Neo on September 15, 2008 at 7:46 AM
ACORN?! Whoda thunk it.
Fletch54 on September 15, 2008 at 7:47 AM
Certainly just an oversight.
(BTW. I had to look it up, so maybe others also aren’t “in the know”: GOTV = Get Out The Vote.)
davidk on September 15, 2008 at 7:48 AM
So, this is what Community Organizers do… Election Fraud.
Sarah made a dumb move. Not only is a mayor not a community organizer with actual responsibilities, the two positions are diametrically opposed.
BKennedy on September 15, 2008 at 7:48 AM
there were like 7-8 ACORN people here in St. Louis convicted in the last election i believe.. I think GP had a bunch of material on it…
stlpatriot on September 15, 2008 at 7:49 AM
I’m beginning to get an understanding of what community organizers do – disenfranchise me and my neighbors.
forest on September 15, 2008 at 7:49 AM
This would explain why Democrats are so confident that they will win the election.
Grunt on September 15, 2008 at 7:50 AM
When Obama was working as a community organizer in Chicago, did ACORN teach Obama the tricks of the trade?
I wonder what the alphie’s of the world think about having an organization such as ACORN committing crimes in order to get Democrats elected. These people wonder why we view them as pure scum.
Keemo on September 15, 2008 at 7:51 AM
The penalty for voter fraud NEEDS to be more severe.
My collie says:
Not severe enough.
CyberCipher on September 15, 2008 at 7:52 AM
Yeah, i’m beginning to think its time to do something about this treasonous BS..
stlpatriot on September 15, 2008 at 7:52 AM
This may be a dumb question, but to whom do I call or write to push for an investigation? I live near a big university town and see these Obama people trying to get students to register to vote. I can not help but think that some of these people may be registered at home and at school. Think stinks.
bloggless on September 15, 2008 at 7:52 AM
Why is the Left so concerned with voting machine problems when they rig it from the registration side?
This is a point I’ve made to a few lib relatives only to be told it’s not the same issue. Yeah right. It won’t matter anyhow because they’ll scream like crying babies who’ve had their lollipops taken away when they lose.
JohnnyD on September 15, 2008 at 7:53 AM
Good question.
Even better question: what do we have to do to get the federal government to stop funding this fraud by giving millions of our tax dollars to ACORN?
AZCoyote on September 15, 2008 at 7:55 AM
Heh, this makes Palin’s issues look like, well, what they are, nothing but dems trying to dig up something.
4shoes on September 15, 2008 at 7:56 AM
So why is everyone surprised. This is the history of the Chicago political machine. If you have that machine in an election, you will have a 110% voter turnout. At least on one side. It’s not much of an assumtion to think that none of these duplicate registrations are ones likely to benefit McCain.
MikeA on September 15, 2008 at 7:56 AM
Your collie is very wise. Ask (her/him?) what can be done about this beyond being appalled?
tru2tx on September 15, 2008 at 7:56 AM
Yes, this is what they mean when they refer to their “superior ground organizations.”
AZCoyote on September 15, 2008 at 7:57 AM
Bad Voter Applications Found
————————————————————Several municipal clerks across the state are reporting
fraudulent and duplicate voter registration applications,
most of them from a nationwide community activist group
working to help low-and moderate income families.
————————————————————
Well,now we know what Hopey and Changey did as a community
organizer,and if fraudulent applications are being scammed
in Michigan,then its probably going on in Obamas other 56
states!
Well,its good to see the liberals are running a normal
campaign as usual!
So,that means,that the Democrats will have dead people,
children names,way south of Texas illegal fence hoppers,
as fraudulent voters!
Oh ya,the homeless as well!!
And they have the nerve to make accusations of voter
intimidation at the poll’s!!
Liberals at war,the ends justify the means!!!!!!!!!!!
canopfor on September 15, 2008 at 7:59 AM
ACORN was busted here in Wisconsin for voter registration fraud.
Haunchie on September 15, 2008 at 8:00 AM
New 527 ad…..
(guy going into a voting booth)
(as he’s ready to put ballot in box, guy in ACORN shirt busts in and runs off with it)
(yelling)
(guy say he needs another ballot)
(worker says “you only get one”)
(guy in ACORN shirt taunts “I get as many as I want!”)
(narrator: Acorn steals thousands of votes through voter fraud.)
(the democratic candidate gave them nearly a million dollars.)
(that’s not real change, that’s changing your vote)
(and politics as usual)
Beto Ochoa on September 15, 2008 at 8:02 AM
A full-on investigation will take months but it should be done nonetheless, even with just 6 weeks to go until the election. In any case, every precinct where ACORN has it’s hooks should have the votes challenged.
J.J. Sefton on September 15, 2008 at 8:04 AM
I assume record numbers of dead people, non-existent people, illegals and convicted felons will be voting this year for the demorats. Can we cry “disenfranchisement” this time, or is that a luxury only for demorats?
ErinF on September 15, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Something must be done to protect the American public from these community organizers. These people have been trying to rig elections for years. Without racial hate, class envy and community organizers the democrats could not exist.
volsense on September 15, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Not a dumb question at all.
1. Get as much factual information as possible. Names, dates, times, etc.
2. Call your Secretary of State- primary person responsible for voting.
3. Call your county registrar
4. Call your local Republican Party office.
Between the 2, it may get followed up on.
Nice work in keeping an eye out. Since we clearly can’t count on anyone to actually enforce our laws, it’s up to We the People to deal with this as best we can.
Damiano on September 15, 2008 at 8:10 AM
It really is time to start cleaning up the swamp.
JimK on September 15, 2008 at 8:10 AM
They were busted here in the Peoples Republic of Washington as well. But not until after we a Dem won the Gov. race on the 3rd recount, by 103 votes.
Then we learned of thousands of felons and dead people who “Voted” in one county alone.
“Vote Early, and Vote Often” is still the Mantra of the socialist left.
ZagChuck on September 15, 2008 at 8:14 AM
Yes my friends, the Democrat Party and their bed partners in the Liberal Media, have been at war with the rest of America for decades now. They have created armies disguised as 527 groups, secret underground agencies such as ACORN & CAIR, mob run organizations disguised as UNIONS, propaganda machines disguised as film makers, huge & powerful attack groups such the ACLU….. Yes, they have been at war with us for decades now. They take our hard earned money, and buy votes with it, disguising these programs by calling them social welfare programs and public funding.
It’s high time we face the truth folks.
Keemo on September 15, 2008 at 8:16 AM
Everybody vote, now.
Breathing, not breathing — it’s only semantics.
/community organizer off
heh
least1 on September 15, 2008 at 8:16 AM
They don’t call it “organized” crime for nothing.
Tony Soprano and Don Corleone were community organizers.
roninacreage on September 15, 2008 at 8:17 AM
Obama whined about Palin and Giuliani mocking community organizers. I notice the acronym ACORN stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. I’m amazed the McCain campaign hasn’t pointed this out along with Obama’a connections to that nefarious outfit.
infidel65 on September 15, 2008 at 8:20 AM
Great question to ask Brazile and Brokaw.
Wade on September 15, 2008 at 8:22 AM
This is going to happen all over the place, especially in Philadelphia. McCain-Palin must be ready to take this head on and call it what it is. (They must also have a sizeable lead in the polls in PA to overcome democrat voter fraud antics).
SouthernGent on September 15, 2008 at 8:23 AM
If McCain loses a close one, this could really blow up in the big cities of swing states. Fraudulent registrations are probably a little easier to prove than some “hanging chad” type argument too.
It’s a good idea to preemptively sound the alarm loudly and often to let the ACORN people in Detroit, Philly etc know they’re being watched. I think I’ll check with my Congressman’s office to see what kind of oversight is going on.
forest on September 15, 2008 at 8:26 AM
Undermining faith in our democractic republic is a coernerstone of Marxist theory. O’bambi is just taking normal donk techniques and magnifying them. He’ll be the first PotUS to whip out the pardon pen within an hour of the oath of office.
Let’s not let that happen.
sven10077 on September 15, 2008 at 8:27 AM
I may be wrong but doesn’t ACORN get some of your tax dollars via the feds?
Tom
marinetbryant on September 15, 2008 at 8:31 AM
Dead men don’t vote Republican…
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on September 15, 2008 at 8:33 AM
Heh! I just learned the other night that our GOP district leader was called to a precinct riddled with mob connections and D influence during the 2006 election. The local voting officials in that precinct had “forgotten” to bring the sign-in book for verification of signatures and voter validity to the polling place. They were permitting voting because they “knew” the potential voters. They did not even insist on the use of provisional ballots until such time that the questionable voters could be verified.
Too many Dem operatives cry foul on voter irregularities because they think everyone else is as guilty of dirty tricks as they themselves employ.
onlineanalyst on September 15, 2008 at 8:35 AM
There is a Vo-tech school in Bangor, ME, where ‘inner city’ people from out of State are provided living quarters, training and an education on the State’s dime. The Dems send a party bus to the school every election day to transport these folks to the local polls. Registration is allowed the same day as voting. These people are passed through as residents of the State, told how to vote and are pushed through the system. This type of tactic has been part of the Dem strategy for decades.
Hening on September 15, 2008 at 8:36 AM
WHY is this not front page news on the MSM? (Silly me- I know why) but, how can they not report on this? Between this and Obama trying to “make deals” while in Iraq, I am appalled that anyone would want him in office.
anniekc on September 15, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Voter registration fraud can only be defeated by a strong voter identity law. Of course that’s why the Dems have pushed so hard against such laws. Has there been any Acorn scandels in GA or ID? I haven’t heard of any.
JohnnyD on September 15, 2008 at 8:38 AM
Me thinks,that voters should have
identification,then they check the
list,with your id,and either your
on or your a fraud!
Voting in Ontario,no id,your
not voting,makes everyone honest!
canopfor on September 15, 2008 at 8:38 AM
I hope they bring a RICO action against ACORN, and criminally convict them and disband this racketeering enterprise for good.
eaglewingz08 on September 15, 2008 at 8:38 AM
Keep moving – nothing to see here.
Fuquay Steve on September 15, 2008 at 8:38 AM
Once again, the NYT proves the point that they are a mouth piece for the Democrat Party…
The Obama campaign has a long article about Sarah Palin in today’s New York Times. Jo Becker, Peter S. Goodman and Michael Powell wrote it for them. The Times reporters evidently scoured Alaska, looking for people who don’t like Governor Palin, and pieced together every negative quote they could come up with in the form–more or less–of a newspaper article.
Remarkably enough, the reporters/Obama campaign staff couldn’t find room for a single good word about Governor Palin. Thus, while they acknowledge that Palin currently has an approval rating of 80% (86%, actually), making her perhaps the most popular politician in the country, the reader is left to puzzle as to what her constituents could possibly like about her.
Every person who engages in public life has opponents and enemies, and if you talk exclusively to those people, and write an article solely from their perspective, you can easily make the subject look bad. (Imagine, say, an article on Abraham Lincoln that consisted entirely of quotes from Copperhead Democrats.) If the Times wanted to test that proposition, they could send a team of reporters to Chicago to search out and interview people who don’t like Barack Obama. Somehow, though, I don’t think that’s on their agenda.
When Democrats say they win elections because of superior ground efforts, they get no argument from me!
Keemo on September 15, 2008 at 8:40 AM
Rightttt the Justice Department investigate shenanigans against Democrats before an election? Maybe after the election, but this Justice Department only makes Republicans do a “perp” walk before the vote.
This is the most politicized Justice Department in the history of the nation. In their bent to show how fair they are they have become biased.
Jdripper on September 15, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Voters must show an approved I.D. here in Montana in order to vote. That should be the law in every state.
Keemo on September 15, 2008 at 8:42 AM
Will this get any media attention beyond The Detroit Free Press?
Disturb the Universe on September 15, 2008 at 8:43 AM
In a word: no.
ManlyRash on September 15, 2008 at 8:50 AM
Yea…ok…ACORN will do an “investigation”! LOL! We’ll make sure the legal process stops until you complete your own internal “investigation” which will no doubt be complete around November 7th…
sabbott on September 15, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Good morning, kindred spirit and fellow troll hunter. I have to go to work, but I trust you will show no mercy in your application of the troll hammer in my absence.
Disturb the Universe on September 15, 2008 at 9:04 AM
I have this watch, DTU. See you later.
ManlyRash on September 15, 2008 at 9:16 AM
More than 12 States have reported ACORN fraud and abuse. Obama pays these people.
Nothing to see hear folks… move along, move along.
Yakko77 on September 15, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Anybody notice how the media has removed the name SOROS from any printing over the past few months? Think they might be a little frightened of the fact that Soros might harm their chances of obtaining complete power of the people.
Keemo on September 15, 2008 at 9:30 AM
The USDOJ should be frog marching ACORN, and the ACLU off to GITMO. Yes, the RICO Act should apply, and yes, both organizations are domestic terrorists!
byteshredder on September 15, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Another cudgel in the tool shed to hammer the would-be community organizer and chief.
moxie_neanderthal on September 15, 2008 at 9:45 AM
I petitioned for the Libertarian Party over the summer in 7 states. Would run into these ACORN/Ralph Nader freaks all over the place registering voters.
The most blatant instances I personally witnessed were in downtown Cincinnati. Right in front of the public library I saw a bunch of these ACORNers signing up anyone to vote, didn’t matter if they were underage, or if they were illegal aliens.
How do I know? Cause I’m fluent in Spanish. I’d listen to the bi-lingual ACORNers telling the Mexicans to simplemente firme aqui, es para conseguir mas diner del gobierno. Of course, the Mexicans would sign, and the ACORNers would be on their way.
One of their guys – a drug head – explained to me that he didn’t “give a f*ck” who he signed up, cause he’d get $5.00 for every signature he got, and nobody every checked, they just gave him the cash at the end of the day.
I also witnessed one of them signing up a 16-year old girl to vote. I asked the girl after they left how old she was. She told me, and I informed her that it was illegal for her to register. She seemed to flip it off.
ericdondero on September 15, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Remember the outrage of the press over the firing of federal prosecutors? They were fired for undermining the administration’s priorities, including their failure to investigate and prosecute voter fraud.
texette on September 15, 2008 at 9:53 AM
Thanks, davidk!
I’ve been wondering about GOTV for a while now, but (I’m embarrassed to say) I was too lazy to look it up.
JadeNYU on September 15, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Too bad they’ll never try and scrub these people from the voter logs, with all the fakes being registered its getting tougher and tougher to win within the law.
Rbastid on September 15, 2008 at 10:03 AM
So this is what community organizers do.
Maxx on September 15, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Ever notice that Rywall, Shipley, et al. never show up on threads like this?
JAM on September 15, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Rywall appeared on the Murtha thread. MB4/Trailboss surfaced on the Crisis thread.
ManlyRash on September 15, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Thyis is the kind of change that O! had hoped would go unnoticed…
RocketmanBob on September 15, 2008 at 10:40 AM
From big ACORN, fake voter lists grow.
Loxodonta on September 15, 2008 at 10:42 AM
It is easy to see why the demonrats do everything they can to prevent a positive voter ID requirement.
Amazed on September 15, 2008 at 10:43 AM
The fact that it is even in The Free Press is a huge first step — it is the liberal paper here in Detroit.
I was very surprised to see the story. ACORN runs wild here with no regard for election law. Any attempt to question them is met with cries of racism and of trying to steal another election.
This issue needs to be addressed before the election — especially with how close the race is here.
mesablue on September 15, 2008 at 10:55 AM
So, where is the RICO case against ACORN and its principals and backers? Our US attorneys have been very happy to watch federal crimes taking place, for the past many years, without any thought of prosecution. Dan Rather got away with single-handedly trying to change the 2004 election (for which he should have ended up in jail). The New York Times is allowed to print anything they want, even though many of their stories would have gotten spies executed for transferring the same info to the same people. And on and on. Except that our US attorneys are very good at putting people in jail for defending our border.
What the hell do our US attorneys spend their time doing? This is nuts.
progressoverpeace on September 15, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Does this mean Jesus was guilty of voter registration fraud too?
grdred944 on September 15, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Now we finally know what community organizers do!
PattyJ on September 15, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Are these the people that stand outside of Target and ask only people that meet their visual criteria if they are registered to vote?
They always seem to assume that I’m already registered.
Dorvillian on September 15, 2008 at 12:02 PM
The problem is that the Dems project their own desire for voter fraud onto Republicans. In addition, the Dems have yet to figure out how to control the electronic voting.
Voter registration programs are the tried and true voter fraud mechanism that ACORN and the Dems use to add voters then either expect them to vote democrat OR vote for them as they would for deceased voters or made up names on the voting roll. It is a method of stuffing the ballot box.
jerseyman on September 15, 2008 at 12:24 PM
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