Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10), outspoken critic of ACORN, issued the following statement in response to a report released by the Inspections and Evaluations Division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “detailing the results of its investigation of grant funds awarded under HUD’s Housing Counseling Program to ACORN Housing Corporation, Inc. (AHC) of Chicago, now operating as Affordable Housing Centers of America (AHCOA).”  

The report showed that ACORN received $3,252,399 in housing counseling grants between 2008 and 2009, of which more than $2.544 million (nearly 80%) were used to pay ACORN’s salaries.  The findings show that ACORN may have concealed fraud by destroying or failing to produce records of the disbursement of these funds, which does not comply with federal grant requirements.  As such, the HUD Inspector General recommended that AHCOA be placed on ‘inactive’ status.

“We really didn’t need any more evidence that ACORN – and all of its arms – is a criminal organization,” said Congressman McHenry.  “I applaud the Inspector General for recommending that this ACORN spin-off be cut off from government funding.  It is outrageous that the American taxpayer is still footing this disgraced organization’s bill when it has consistently evaded its responsibility to comply with federal law.”