David Iglesias Joins Maddow For "Truth About The Lies About ACORN" Segment (VIDEO)

David Iglesias, who was one of the U.S. attorneys (New Mexico) that the Bush Justice Department ousted for political reasons, joined Rachel Maddow tonight to continue her ongoing segment "The Truth About The Lies About ACORN."

Iglesias says he was forced out from his position in part because he refused pressure from Republicans to investigate bogus claims of voter registration fraud against ACORN.

Iglesias recounts to Maddow the work that ACORN was doing to register New Mexico voters and the intense political pressure he was receiving from Republicans to halt ACORN's efforts:

As a matter of fact, I set up one of only two voter fraud task forces in the country. I worked with state and local officials. I worked with the FBI. I worked with the Justice Department in Washington. And we took over 100 complaints. We set up a hotline. I mean, I believed there to be prosecutable cases, but I wasn't going to make up evidence. And at the end of two years I couldn't find one case I could prosecute.

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Comments

[savvydad]

Something to think about......Is Rachel Maddow really Keith olbermann??? HMMM......

[4real]

If the Bush administration can l i e about the reasons for going to w a r why wouldn't they try to make up charges against acorn?

[BOin08]

Defending ACORN ? Attacking ACORN whistleblowers?? Wrong side of the side of this issue girl...

[research]

But Prince BlackWater still get's billions....

[dilbertgeg]

please correct:

Iglesias says he was forced out from his position in part because he refused pressure from Republicans to indict on bogus claims of voter registration fraud against ACORN.

He DID investigate.

[econ1]

Clearly there are bad people in any organization and the organization needs to clear them out. The junior journalists apparently found it very easy to show problems within Acorn.

Everyone from both of the big parties should have an interest in a lack of corruption ... unfortunately they both seem more interested in getting elected.

[bzb]

wyldthings says:
nicole473So wrong both individuals and Acorn itself have been indicted in Nevada by the Attorney General who is a Democrat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/us/05acorn.html

Your wrong that case in Nevada was never brought to trial and those employee's wee fired. The GOP wanted DOJ attorneys to make-up evidence and David Iglesias stated that only 14 cases of voter fraud had been found out of hundreds of thousands of cases the DOJ prosecuted over a period of several years.

Why do you do you think Bush or better yet KR wanted to dismantle the DOJ Civil Rights Administration?

And again here we are with mid-term elections coming up and the GOP is trying to suppress votes and influence the outcome of the 2010 elections that's why MSM has not been so quick to pickup this story. It's illegal what the GOP is doing.

[Chili4me]

Wrong, the trial in Nevada against ACORN for voter fraud is going on now.

One former employee made a deal and is singing.

ACORN will be history soon as it should be.

[bzb]

No it's not.

[MJinCanada]

I'll see your ACORN allegations and raise you a Nathan Sproul.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4992730.ece
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/14/politics/main649380.shtml

[unscum]

It goes without saying, the best way to destroy the Republican party in 2010 is to ensure that Latinos and Blacks are being registered to vote and mobilized to the polls in vast numbers in all in these red states. If not ACORN then a whole host of other organizations should pick up the slack in getting this done. Demography is a far more powerful weapon against the Republicans than any legislation that's passed in Washington.

[reject]

Furthermore SAdelmann, the HP article itself proves you are DEAD WRONG! "Iglesias says he was forced out from his position in part because he refused pressure from Republicans to investigate bogus claims of voter registration fraud against ACORN. "

If voter registration fraud were NOT a federal crime as you claim, they why would a federal prosecutor be pressured to investigate claims of voter registration fraud?

[SAdelmann]

It is not traditionally prosecuted as a federal crime. Isn't being done in nevada. Wasn't done in Missouri.

Was being requested (maybe ordered) by the Cheney/Rove White House.

[cantbe]

Disgruntled ex employees are always a great source for the truth. Especially those that were fired. Good news is nobody watches this show.

[SAdelmann]

Yes, and firing people is a great way to make them look like disgruntled ex-employees. By your reasoning, no-one has ever been wrongly fired.

[fallingsky]

so when Bush only fired those who were complete incompetents , while Clinton fired everyone , it seems that once again , Bush was proven to be in the right

[reject]

This is very true. I (along with Anita Moncrief, I am sure) agree with you completely.

[TotalRecall9]

Geez, why try to save ACORN? You can't complain about Republicans protecting Wall Street crooks when Democrats want to protect crooks in organizations.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Dumb it Down Mr. President! Isn't that what you people asked the POTUS to do?

Dumb it Down!

Too bad- too bad you will not get your wish!

ACORN is not over either.

Much to the chagrin of the DO NOTHINGS!

Here is your Murdoch Style - WASTE of TIME!

Days before the big HEALTHCARE Break in August- Guess what GOP did with 7 precious hours of their time on the House Floor days before the August break?

Guess? Go ahead- -C-span for facts.

7-27-09- R-IA King stood for 2 hours on the House floor ranting about Criminal Acorn- anything to do w/healthcare?

Then- to really enforce the WSJ/Murdoch DUMB DOWN- 7-29-09 Guess what R-IA King did for 2 more hours?

Yep! DO NOTHING; DUMB it DOWN Murdoch Style all the way did the exact same thing again.

R-IA King 2 more hours on the House floor ranting about Criminal Acorn have to do w/healthcare?

SWIFTBOAT at its FINEST!

DUMB it DOWN Mr. President, Murdoch style - 7 hours before the Town Halls begin!

Returning to DC after August break and guess who CNN has on calling for Congressional Hearings for ACORN in early September?

Yep! R-IA King! The EXPERT on Criminal ACORN!

ACORN=CENSUS WORKER

R-IN Pence on Murdoch’s Hannity last night- stating no more funding for ACORN and pushed Obama connection- again!

Then - stated- NO REPUBLICAN will vote for Healthcare Bill!

Work with this?

[TotalRecall9]

M0r0n, who is you people? Like most of the U.S., I'm independent! Just because I don't agree with your biased belief doesn't mean I'm in a political party, a-hole!

[Buckywunder]

What's your evidence?

Just repeating talking points a la "telephone" doesn't cut it in the United States.

[The Albany Kid]

I know that I'm preaching to the choir here, but if there had been more ACORNs 5 - 10 years ago, this mortgage mess would probably not be nearly as bad as it is.

[fallingsky]

why isn't Big Bertha Lewis blogging here on HP anymore if The Children of the aCORN seiu are being maligned so wrongfully?.... is it because HP also is done with them ?

[DestinationsUnknown]

Dumb it Down Mr. President! Isn't that what you people asked the POTUS to do?

Dumb it Down!

Too bad- too bad you will not get your wish!

ACORN is not over either.

Much to the chagrin of the DO NOTHINGS!

Here is your Murdoch Style - WASTE of TIME!

Days before the big HEALTHCARE Break in August- Guess what GOP did with 7 precious hours of their time on the House Floor days before the August break?

Guess? Go ahead- -C-span for facts.

7-27-09- R-IA King stood for 2 hours on the House floor ranting about Criminal Acorn- anything to do w/healthcare?

Then- to really enforce the WSJ/Murdoch DUMB DOWN- 7-29-09 Guess what R-IA King did for 2 more hours?

Yep! DO NOTHING; DUMB it DOWN Murdoch Style all the way did the exact same thing again.

R-IA King 2 more hours on the House floor ranting about Criminal Acorn have to do w/healthcare?

SWIFTBOAT at its FINEST!

DUMB it DOWN Mr. President, Murdoch style - 7 hours before the Town Halls begin!

Returning to DC after August break and guess who CNN has on calling for Congressional Hearings for ACORN in early September?

Yep! R-IA King! The EXPERT on Criminal ACORN!

ACORN=CENSUS WORKER

R-IN Pence on Murdoch’s Hannity last night- stating no more funding for ACORN and pushed Obama connection- again!

Then - stated- NO REPUBLICAN will vote for Healthcare Bill!

Work with this?

[SAdelmann]

Reject: first you claimed that ACORN committed voter fraud. We kindly pointed out that they did not.

Then you claimed that registration fraud is a federal crime. We kindly pointed out that it is not

You claimed 30 convictions. We kindly pointed out that there is not a single verifiable source for this information.

You have been vicimized by a campaign of misinformation designed to inflame people against ACORN. Again, I say to you, if there is some proof of systemic fraud, where is it?

One could easily use this same anecdotal approach to evidence to shut down the Republican party (or the Democratic party, if that better suits your agenda). This entire issue is built upon a fabric of lies and half-truths.

See, in America (you know, the great nation we ardently defend) a person or an organization is innocent until proven guilty. It is nice that you allow yourself the luxury of accepting flawed information to convict an entire organization of the abuses that only a handful of its employees have committed.

Using that logic, the entire country is guilty of something.

[nicole473]

Good post. Fanned.

[reject]

Actually, I was correct, even if you want to parse my verbage in an attempt at ideological lawyering. Voter registration fraud is a federal crime, and falls under the larger tent of election fraud.

http://soundpolitics.com/The%20Federal%20Crime%20of%20Election%20Fraud.pdf

If there have not been 30 + convictions of ACORN employees, then show some proof that this is wrong by refuting it with some specific examples of misinformation. I gave specific examples of the convictions, now the burden is on you to give specific evidence that they are wrong, if that is your claim.

Prove the information I have provided is flawed, or you have no argument. Expose the lies, and give the other half of the "half-truths", and perhaps there is a discussion to be had. Otherwise, I see nothing more than a systematic rejection of any reality that is presented here that contradicts the established groupthink. I have not convicted an entire organization of anything. I have merely presented my opinion that RM's "reporting" is disengenuous, misleading and irresponsible. I have supported that opinion with the facts I use to reach that conclusion.

If the facts I present are wrong, then you should have no problem presenting other facts to the contrary.

[SAdelmann]

I am not burdened at all.

Technically, registration fraud could be tried in Federal Court - but it is not done. http://soundpolitics.com/The%20Federal%20Crime%20of%20Election%20Fraud.pdf

Did you read your own citation? Or just the parts that suited you? I read the entire document - a long time ago. Even the cases you mentioned, the charges brought - these were done in state courts, not federal courts. You should go back and read your very questionable sources.

I have no burden of proof, because you have not met your own burden of proof. You are the one who said that 30 ACORN reps were convicted, yet you were unable to present a reputable source - the source you cited had no verifiable citations - it was a hit piece that you chose to believe. Every link on that piece is a dead link.I would contend that there are either no sources, never were, or the sources have been discredited.

As I have said, there is absolutly no evidence of systemic fraud within the ACORN organization. if you are willing to convict the entire group for the "crimes" of a handful, then the whole country should be behind bars. I guarantee you that there are people in your place of employment who routinely break the law, people in your political party, your church, maybe your household.

Your approach to this is distinctly unAmerican - we are innocent until proven guilty - there is no proof that ACORN, as a whole, is guilty of anything.

Fail.

[Thabit]

Great when do we pick up Republicans for the voter fraud in Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004

[FR]

If they were NOT convicted we cannot prove a negative.
You claim they were convicted. You did NOT give specific examples of the convictions except to claim they'd been convicted in Nevada.
That leaves a trail. It is up to YOU to prove your allegations.

[nicole473]

INDISPUTABLE FACTS REGARDING ACORN

1. ACORN has never been charged with, nor convicted of, ANY_CRIME.
2. ATTEMPTED voter registration_fraud is NOT ballot_fraud.
3. ACORN receives only 2% of it's funding from the government.
4. ACORN itself collects information, and REPORTS IT to the government, on attempted voter registration_fraud.
5. The _pim*p/pr0stitute_ incident was a matter of INDIVIDUALS making bad choices, NOT ACORN itself.
6. Defunding ACORN opens the gates WIDE to defund other entities with legal issues who are being funded by the FED._BLACK­WATER,_HAL­IBURTON,_K­BR, come to mind.

[dyldrix]

no community group with anan active political wing should receive any gov. funding

[nicole473]

You mean no group with a Dem bias.

[Buckywunder]

Fact: They are non-partisan and performing services to the community.

Fact: They are entitled to to funding just like church and abstinence groups, whether you like them or not.

Fact: ACORN is the target of right-wing funding of lobbyists in D.C.

Fact: ACORN is being smeared with lies, false accusations and paid propaganda.

[dilbertgeg]

Why stop at blocking community groups?

CORPORATIONS with active political wings get govt subsidies and contracts, then use govt money to get more govt money and favors. Some pressure employees on voting issues and for campaign contributions. Employees are forced to comply or their jobs are at risk.

Israel too. Stop funding them. They use taxpayer funds to manipulate US elections, to defeat democracy, to stifle American voters and citizens, to manipulate Congress, and as a front for military contracts. END IT. (Disclosure: I am Jewish.)

Ditto for propping up other regimes besides Israel, like Saudi Arabia. We can BUY their oil cheaper than BRIBING their oil.

Churches too. You can't cut churches that merely deal with social issues, but ALL Churches involved in electoral issues in the least way should have their tax-free status cut. They become a business, a PAC. We should stop the Church of PAC and all forms of Church of the Dollar.

END government contracts to ALL corporations. Many of them would fail, because they cannot stay in business on their own without pork. Especially banking and finance. END corporate welfare, which *IS* political.

For that matter, END The FED, private corporation, put money creation back inside the Treasury, as the Constitution demands. (not a RonPaulite)

Stop "privatization" giveaways.

EVERY corporation gets free government services --- incorporating = free risk mitigation. They lobby for free tax abatement services, or free tax evasion services.
END incorporating period, or restore it to tough 1776 standards.

[dilbertgeg]

continued:

END funding for every NGO that's really a CIA front (typically "for democracy"). That would shut down the CIA, because outsourcing services to private shell corporations is the way they hide a lot of their activities, "behind the corporate veil".

Do something good for the Troops -- END military contractors, which now get MORE than half the mil budget, while troops go hungry, thirsty, and lacking medical care and equipment. The US Gov can figure out how to build weapons, how to train and feed soldiers, without massive wealth transfers and giveaways.

Just a few ideas in stopping the MASSIVE electoral fraud that goes on year-after-year, for decades.

[reject]

1. Many employees and representatives of ACORN HAVE been convicted of crimes. Many MORE have been indicted.

2. Voter registration fraud is a crime, and numerous ACORN employees have been convicted of it.

3. So what?

4. That is a good thing by all appearances. It begs the question however, "why do they allow it to happen over and over again?"

5. Perhaps. I am troubled by the fact that the results were pretty much exactly the same in 5 separate offices, with 5 different people, in 5 completely separate areas. It does go toward establishing a pattern, and to dismiss it as simply "individual bad choices" is a bit premature, at best.

6. It most certainly does, and I am not entirely against that either. I am of the firm held belief that congress is entirely too free to give out money with too little oversight.

[nicole473]

ACORN never committed "voter reg fraud", and has NEVER been charged or convicted. Link to proof of your assertions, because they are not true..

[Poiks]

You've been owned (see SAdelmann post above).

[Buckywunder]

Um, where's your evidence?

[teasley]

If you ever owned a business you would find out in a hurry that an employee or anyone acting on behalf of your business, is the business and you the owner are responsible for their acts.

[nicole473]

Yes, that is true. However, ACORN itself has always reported the people who attempt to commit reg fraud. That is why ACORN ITSELF has NEVER been charged nor convicted.

Get it?