Meet the Ratners: Defending ACORN is Their Family Business

Today the Center for Constitutional Rights sued the federal government on behalf of ACORN. They are alleging that Congressional efforts to defund ACORN constitute an unconstitutional Bill of Attainder. This tired argument has been thoroughly rebutted, but the Center for Constitutional Rights is going to make it anyway. Republican National Lawyers Association Chairman David Norcross has noted that: “The actions of Congress to defund ACORN clearly do not meet the definition of a Bill of Attainder.”

The Center for Constitutional Rights is going to stand up for this corrupt organization, and I think I know the reason why. It’s all about family.

The President of the Center for Constitutional Rights is Michael Ratner. Michael Ratner is a well known liberal lawyer who has fought against the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay. He also teaches at Columbia Law School.

If you haven’t heard of Michael, that’s all right, I’m sure you’ve heard of his brother Bruce. He’s a prominent developer and owner of the New Jersey Nets. His company is Forest City Enterprises.

ACORN had been supporting Bruce Ratner’s plans for a massive new arena for the team and his surrounding real estate development plan. Last September as the embattled community organization was dealing with the repercussions of the Rathke embezzlement Ratner came to the rescue with a $1 million loan and a $500,000 grant. The money, which helped ACORN through some of its darkest days, also bought their silence as criticism of Ratner’s development became widespread.

Now we see Michael Ratner’s Center for Constitutional Rights fighting to overturn Congressional efforts to defund this corrupt organization.

These two brothers are working hard to defend this troubled organization. One brother provides the bail money while the other defends them in court.

This lawsuit filed against the United States, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, OMB Director Peter Orszag, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, will be defended by the Department of Justice. I’m not confident they will provide the most zealous defense. Their track record under the Obama administration has been less than stellar. Attorney General Eric Holder has resisted Congressional calls to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate ACORN; instead he has launched an investigation of whether the Department has given ACORN any grants. The Department of Justice was victorious in a lawsuit against members of the Black Panthers accused of voter intimidation and then voluntarily dismissed the charges. It seems that the Department’s zealous advocacy and investigation ends where supporters of President Obama may be implicated in wrongdoing.