FBI: McCain Camp ACORN Statement "Too Political For Us To Be Involved"

Late Thursday afternoon, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis sent out a statement seeking to piggy-back on the news that the FBI has opened a nationwide investigation into the voter registration fraud allegedly committed by the community organizing group ACORN.

"Given the fact the FBI has launched a nationwide investigation into the questionable voter registration practices of ACORN, it is imperative that Barack Obama's campaign cooperate fully with this important investigation," Davis wrote in the email, which was blasted out to reporters. Declaring that Obama should "fully disclose the true nature of his association" with the group, Davis went on to cite a familiar trope: the $832,000 paid by Obama's campaign to an ACORN affiliate for "get out the vote" operations during the primary season. Though the Obama campaign originally mis-reported some of its payments to Citizens Services, the ACORN affiliate in question, it already amended its Federal Elections Commission filings in August and September.

Davis's memo also appeared to go on a fishing expedition, as it demanded that Obama provide "total disclosure" of "any and all" information the Obama campaign may have related to ACORN's database of registered voters compiled during this election cycle -- something it's not clear the Obama campaign would have any working knowledge about.

So we wondered, how interested is the FBI in acquiring information about the Obama campaign's payments to an ACORN affiliate that no one has accused of being connected to the fraudulent voter registrations?

The Huffington Post reached FBI spokesman Richard Kalko by phone, who at first said he would have no comment about the ACORN investigation. (No surprise.)

But when told that the McCain campaign had sent out a memo alleging that Barack Obama had critical information to the case, Kalko asked for more details.

"When did they send that out?" he asked. When told it was a fresh release, Kalko asked the Huffington Post to forward him Davis's statement. "I'd like to take a look at that," Kalko said. "Though I don't want to get your hopes up that I'll comment."

Moments later, Kalko emailed back, writing: "We have no comment on this issue."

Reached again by phone and asked whether Davis's release would be taken seriously as an investigatory matter, Kalko merely said: "It's just too political for us to be involved. We're just going to hide under our desks over here. Sorry."

Comments

[HappinessHacker]

The FBI needs to investigate the G.O.P.'s ACORN Dirty Tricks!!!

All you have to do is pay or place people to create bogus voter registration forms and then create an incident like we have now. It's classic case of Republican dirty tricks ops.

The media needs to follow the money and find out who did it and how they were rewarded...

That ought to be simple, but I haven't seen it covered.

Happiness Hacker - Atlanta

[gavrielle]

ACORN is likely to be the next Whitewater once Obama takes office. But this time, we aren't playing that game.

No, neocons, you may NOT have millions of taxpayer dollars to interfere with and discredit the government the taxpayers elected so you can pursue bogus claims of election fraud that wasn't fraud.

As for ACORN, they helped save the housing development in which I live. No one bothered with us until some real estate developers decided we were sitting on prime river front property. These developers tried every trick in the book to force the tenants out - up to and including bribing the privatized management office to conduct illegal evictions. ACORN went to court and stopped the harassment, saving the homes of more than 400 hardworking low income families. ACORN works for the people, that's why the repubs want to destroy them.

[bogues]

This acorn stuff is a distraction from what McCain and the GOP are doing in all the swing states to disinfranchise new voters. The 200 thousand number keeps coming up in there conversations. Mike DuHaime, McCains political director is saying it again. They want to cancel out two hundred thousand votes in every swing state in order to guarentee a victory for McCain. Obama is not connected to the fact that people work for acorn and go out to get people to fill out registration forms. Acorn itself has redflaged suspicious forms and are required by law to turn all forms in, even the obviously incorrect ones. There is no voter fraud committed when someone writes a fictious name on a card. Voter fraud would only take place if that person shows up at the polls and tries to vote. Anyone who has voted knows you have to prove who you are before you get in the voting booth and your name is checked against a list that has your address and other identity information on it.

[kasinca]

Is this the same Rick Davis who is being paid by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and is lobbying for our enemies?

[kasinca]

There is a difference in someone actually voting on falsified registration and someone who fills out a form wrong. One is a crime the other is bs.

[majorteddy]

What's one more lie by Rick Davis ? He's made so made.

[blissiseasy123]

I'm BANKING ON HEAVEN that FBI agents will investigate McCain's 10,000 polygamists in Colorado City, Arizona for raping underage girls and bilking Arizona taxpayers out of 25-30 million a year.

McCain's FLDS polygamists all vote REPUBLICAN.

Watch the video:

http://www.bankingonheaven.com/

X-POLYGAMIST WIFE

PS If anybody you know is undecided, refer them to my website. For 26 years McCain did nothing about the worst human rights violations in America.

[Ave-Gabrielle]

Did the FBI come in and help Al Gore in 2000 in Florida? See the movie "Recount 2008" with Kevin Spacey. ANYTIME a republican complains about voter fraud, it is their excuse to come in and dismiss valid votes, or, like the year 2000--come in and steal states and eventually steal an election. No one ever thought they'd see what happened in the year 2000 with Al Gore. Imagine what this country would be and WHERE we would ALL be if Al Gore had been president. This man is and was a visionary. From environmentalist to nobel peace winner. From this election on, WE, Americans, no longer want a president we can have a beer with or a VP who we can have coffee with. I want a president so smart that I'm in awe. I want a VP who dares to sit down and have interviews with any and all valid media/press. Sarah Palin should have been on shows from the View to Larry King to ABC,NBC,CBS and stand strong on liberal shows like Keith Olbermann. If anything, don't those who have a strong faith in God go on faith and trust alone? Least that's what I heard the God-lovin repub Sarah Palin says at her speeches. "God speaks to me." So, Gov Palin, what are you afraid of?

[MsDebate]

Well I have already voted, and in my county we had over 16,000 people vote on the first day of early voting. The last election was about 8,000, and we dont have all this election fraud and bad machines. Top notch equipment and friendly workers, go Tennessee.

[LisaLisa1234]

Go Tennessee!!!!!

[kenmattos]

After all the attorney firings by the DOJ I am concerned that this investigation might be a GOP run activity. I hope it is not.

[Britta100]

I think ACORN should be investigated and I certainly hope they clear all this up. But people need to understand there is a difference between voter registration fraud and voter fraud. I also don't think Obama has anything to do with what acorn is doing. During the 2004 election my 13 year old niece and her friend were paid $10 to register to vote by a conservative group not affiliated with the republican party or Bush. These groups taint the process by doing crap like this.

[FogBelter]

Now this whole ACORN thing just aggravates me.

Let's put aside the fact that McCain himself participated in an ACORN event ... that's too obvious of a complaint. Let's also overlook the fact that volunteers were compensated by the signature ... if someone needs a little more cash just add a Mickey, Dumbo, Goofy or two.

Let's go straight to the realm of GOP skullduggery, shall we?
First, as was proven in the primaries, Obama and the DNC have a great ground game, as exhibited by the voter registrations occurring throughout the country.
Second, the GOP ground game this time around is anemic and dispirited.
Third, McCain, the candidate, is so erratic and divisive and has spoken out of so many sides of his mouth concurrently that identifying the true base he appeals to is nearly impossible.
Sum up, from the GOP perspective, they are seriously up the creek.

Unless! Unless they can turn the Obama campaign's greatest strength ... the ground game and all the volunteers ... into a liability by suggesting all of the Obama voter registration efforts are actually a big fraud, and ACORN, that group of (hissss) community organizers (boooo) was actually a Chicago Style Gangster Operation ... the Mob controlling voter registration!

[FogBelter]

But how to pull it off? How? ... Wait! ... ACORN! ... ACORN accepts volunteers! So in the swing States the GOP sends in a few of their loyalists (in Che Guevara and John Lennon t-shirts) to sign up and create fake voter registration forms that they turn in. Later, the GOP calls attention to the fraudulant forms in order to discredit the whole ACORN voter registration operation, and make Obama seem the ring leader! Tee Hee.

So see? This ACORN fraud, if there even is one, may actually be a GOP scam!

[Isos]

I'm not a Republican strategist but if I were I'd enlist operatives to go to work for ACORN registering voters. Since by law ACORN is required to turn in all registrations, I'd ensure there were plenty of fakes. Then I'd call the media's attention to all the fraudulent registrations with the intention of casting doubt and aspersions on the Democrats. Anyone see that as a possibility?

[evgolightly]

Of course!

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

Your hypothesis is very Roveavechi­an........­..........­...I could go for that.

[Elderlady]

Score one for the FBI. Of course, it's political. How could it not be?

Hiding under their desks may be their best option, until after the election.

[copscotch]

so let me get this straight so far obama is

a muslim

a terrorist

an arab

a socialist

supporter of infanticide

supporter of sex ed for kindergartners

a racist

inexperienced

enaged in voter fraud

a friend of terrorists (and celebrities)

supported by hezbollah

and on top of that he is going to raise taxes

hes got my vote

obama08

[NoOneSpecial]

You forgot:

He's going to have the government run your health care.

His wife -- excuse me, baby mama -- is an angry black woman who's out to get "whitey".

And yes, I'm voting for him!

Obama/Biden 08

[Rhia]

ACORN should sue the RNC, John McCain, Sarah Palin, the FBI. This is a demolition job. The Republicans will do everything to win the elections and no one in the Democratic Party is actually doing the job to confront them. By ignoring this, they might steal the election away from Obama or worst, it will create deep division among the people. Someone should speak up from their ranks! This is one ploy to confuse voters.

[lwfky]

I wonder if the ACLU could help with a case. I'll make a donation to that cause.

[JayeSF]

wow...the FBI decides to act on already debunked claims about some sort of collusion and impropriety at ACORN.....

and raids one of their HQ's...

that's just friggin' scary.....

what an obvious abuse of power....