WASHINGTON – Tim Miller, Communications Director of the Employment Policies Institute, issued the following statement after The New York Times published an explosive exposé this morning detailing how the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) covered up nearly $1 million in embezzled funds by its founder’s brother:

“It comes as no surprise that ACORN founder and chief organizer Wade Rathke hid his brother’s embezzlement of nearly $1 million dollars from the ‘charitable’ organization’s employees, board of directors, and donors. This is just one more page in ACORN’s corrupt history, which already includes election fraud investigations in at least a dozen states, hypocritical and oppressive employment practices, and a political agenda driven by a handful of anti-corporate activists.

“This shameful embezzlement scheme and the eight year cover-up ought to make supporters and donors wary of associating themselves with ACORN. It’s bad enough that the boss’ brother stole almost a million dollars, but for Wade Rathke to sweep the crime under the rug and keep his brother on ACORN’s payroll is a disgrace.”
More information about ACORN’s long history of corruption can be found in the Employment Policies Institute’s recent report “Rotten ACORN: America’s Bad Seed” — available online at www.RottenACORN.com