ACORN Didn't Break State Laws, California Attorney General Says

[Hissyspit]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

ACORN didn't break state laws, California attorney general says

By Jack Chang | Sacramento Bee
Employees of the embattled civil rights group ACORN did not break state laws but acted inappropriately in videotapes secretly made by conservative activists showing members of the group apparently giving advice on how to operate a prostitution ring, according to a just-concluded investigation by Attorney General Jerry Brown's office.

The investigation, which was requested by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, also found that ACORN employees in California committed "likely violations" of state law by throwing away confidential records, failing to file a tax return in 2007 and committing four possible instances of voter registration fraud in 2008 in San Diego.

Brown's office referred those possible violations to the district attorneys in the counties where the incidents occurred, spokeswoman Christine Gasparac said.

"A few ACORN members exhibited terrible judgment and highly inappropriate behavior in videotapes obtained in the investigation," Brown said in a news release. "But they didn't commit prosecutable crimes in California."

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/01/91507/acorn-didnt-break-state-laws-california.html

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Third state with investigation to exonerate ACORN.

[FBaggins]

1. That's strange... the title says they didn't break state laws...

..then the article lists several violations of state laws.

[4lbs]

2. It's because the investigation focused on two things.

First, whether ACORN broke any CA state laws in that prostitution sting and video.

They didn't.

Second, whether ACORN broke any CA state laws in OTHER "non-prostitution sting" activities.

They might have.

[No Elephants]

7. Nonetheless, the headline is misleading, ala AP headlines.

[CitizenLeft]

3. I was furious yesterday

On AC360 last night, that snide smarmy little fuck Drew Griffin - the one who nastily blew this whole ACORN story completely out of proportion last year and harped and harped on it as if it were some national crisis - was questioning whether this Hutaree group was really dangerous. Unfuckingbelievable! ACORN gets hounded into extinction, but these psychotic domestic terrorists are "just talking about bad stuff" and probably aren't dangerous. I nearly blew a gasket.

[defendandprotect]

4. kickey --

[BradBlog]

5. CA A.G. FINDS 'NO VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW' IN 'SEVERELY EDITED' ACORN 'PIMP' VIDEOS

Source: BRAD BLOG



CA A.G. FINDS 'NO VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL LAW' IN 'SEVERELY EDITED' ACORN 'PIMP' VIDEOS; UNEDITED TAPES RELEASED
Unreleased raw footage reviewed by AG Jerry Brown's investigation was obtained from Rightwing activists O'Keefe and Giles in exchange for immunity from prosecution
Contradicting MSM coverage, O'Keefe 'never claimed he was a pimp', 'did not act as a journalist'...

Echoing the recent report of the Kings County, NY District Attorney who completed a five-month probe finding "no criminality" seen in video tapes secretly taken of low-level ACORN and ACORN Housing workers last year in New York, California's Attorney General has now come to a similar conclusion about videos recorded in three different cities in the Golden State last Summer, according to a report released today which finds the workers "committed no violation of criminal law."

In a press release announcing his 28-page report (and accompanying 55 pages of attachments and exhibits with it), the AG's office says the publicly released videos taken in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino were "severely edited".
…
"The evidence illustrates that things are not always as partisan zealots portray them through highly selective editing of reality," says Brown in the statement. "Sometimes a fuller truth is found on the cutting room floor."

In exchange for "immunity from prosecution", O'Keefe and Giles provided "the full, unedited videotapes" to Brown's office who, therefore, "did not determine if they violated California's Invasion of Privacy Act" when secretly recording the ACORN workers. Those workers, he notes in his report, may still "be able to bring a private suit against O'Keefe and Giles for recording a confidential conversation without consent."
…
Of the four ACORN employees O'Keefe and Giles met with in three different California cities, none "committed, solicited or conspired to commit any criminal acts," says Brown in his report. "There is no evidence that any of the ACORN employees had the intent to aid and abet such criminal conduct or agreed to join in illegal conduct."

The Attorney General also confirms that O'Keefe never appeared in any of the offices "dressed as a 1970s Superfly pimp," as he had been edited to appear at the beginning and end of each of the videos. Neither did he ever claim to be a pimp to any other workers whose good natures he and Giles had preyed upon...

FULL STORY: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7780

Read more: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7780

[sandnsea]

6. Thanks for this really excellent work

I hope the individuals who were smeared sue these two little punks for everything they'll ever make for the rest of their lives.

[BradBlog]

8. SacBee Story is inaccurate, so I posted my ACCURATE version combined here...

The McLatchy/SacBee report is blatantly inaccurate, which is why I posted my own version of the story so DU would have an accurate story to rec up here.

Unfortunately, my story was combined with this thread, so likely to be buried.

Eg. The SacBee report says O'Keefe claimed to be a pimp in ACORN offices, whereas AG Brown's report explicitly notes: "He never claimed he was a pimp".

I suppose actually *reading* the report one is reporting on is a tall order for a news outlet like SacBee? Sigh... And I'm sorry the really story will get buried since it was combined by mods here. :-(

[hughee99]

9. Acorn didn't file a tax return in 2007?

I thought that was one of the things they were supposed to do. I didn't think the fake pimp stuff was going to get anywhere, but I'll admit I'm surprised to see they didn't even file a return one year.