ACORN Statement on Latest Los Angeles Video: The Hallway Defense

Over at the Los Angeles Times, naturally, we find ACORN’s statement on the latest video:

Los Angeles ACORN statement, as prepared by the organization:

1. The tapes are clearly doctored and highly edited and it is our hope this will be responsibly reported on should this become a news story.

2. The conversation took place outside of the ACORN office. The couple was taken outside of the office into the building-hallway (a common space) because the subject matter they were attempting to discuss was not appropriate and the employee made it clear that ACORN does not help with such things.

3. The couple was brought to a neighboring agency that deals specifically with international abuse.

4. The couple featured in the video did NOT portray themselves as a “prostitute” and a “pimp.”

5. The couple described themselves as “a former prostitute escaping her pimp boyfriend in Miami” and the male as her “concerned friend, a student at USC” who had political aspirations. The male was NOT dressed in “pimp” attire but instead in a white shirt and pants. This contradicts what the “videographers” have stated in the press.

6. The employee made repeated attempts to move the couple out of the office and building by suggesting a number of referrals of agencies or types of agencies to talk to.

7. It is hard to respond to this tape. It is so heavily edited that it may be constructed to conceal the reality of the interaction.

Statement:

“ACORN is moving on; an independent investigation is underway, ACORN’s services have been under review and locally we continue to fight to end the foreclosure crisis and be a voice for the underserved. It’s clear that these videographers can’t move on and have resorted to releasing highly edited tapes in an attempt to keep themselves in the press.” — Lyn Mottley, ACORN leader, South LA

We have no doubt that ACORN would like to “move on.” Of course, part of their “moving on” is suing the federal government to get its hand back in the taxpayers’ piggy-bank. And it is nice ACORN is fighting to “end the foreclosure crisis,” since they did so much to create it.

Whole write up in the Los Angeles Times here. And no, as far as we know, Mr. James Rainey, who had previously uncritically quoted Lavelle Stewart, the ACORN employee featured in the video, has not deigned to weigh in yet.