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An independent investigation commissioned by ACORN and carried out by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger has found that the poor people’s advocacy group did nothing illegal in the undercover sting operation by two right wing activists earlier this year. Harshbarger characterized the behavior of the ACORN staff in the incriminating undercover videos of the incident as being “inappropriate and unprofessional,” but not illegal. The scandal broke when activists James O’Keefe III and Hannah Giles posed as a pimp and a prostitute and with a concealed video camera on hand, sought advice from ACORN staff on how to conceal the prostitute’s income on tax forms. In response to the right wing pressure created by the video of the incident, members of Congress swiftly acted to defund ACORN, a move that the group is challenging on grounds on unconstitutionality. Harshbargar’s investigation of the incident also reveals that the videos were selectively edited at length. He recommends that ACORN take specific steps to improve its management and oversight structure to restore public trust. ACORN stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, and is widely credited with strong campaigns on behalf of poor people on issues like jobs, affordable housing, and voter registration.

GUEST: Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General of Massachusetts

Read the full report online here: http://www.proskauer.com/files/uploads/report2.pdf