GOP demands ‘immediate accounting’ of ACORN funding
By Barbara HollingsworthWashington Examiner
October 9, 2009
Rep. Peter King, R-NY, ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, and all ranking subcommittee members, sent a letter to Secretary Janet Napolitano requesting “an immediate accounting of any funding ACORN is receiving from the Department of Homeland Security.”
FEMA officials announced that the agency will not hand over a nearly $1 million Fire Prevention and Safety grant to the ACORN Institute in New Orleans after Sen. David Vitter, R-LA, disclosed that ACORN has no expertise in fire fighting.
In the letter, Representatives King, Gus Bilirakis, R-FL, Mike Rogers, R-MI, Mark Souder, R-IN, Dan Lundgren, R-CA, Michael McCaul, R-TX, and Charles Dent, R-PA, asked Sec. Napolitano to provide them with a list of all DHS grants awarded to ACORN and its affiliates by Oct. 23, as well as any mechanisms now in place to make sure tax dollars do not go to groups engaged in unlawful activities.
The congressmen also want to know whether Napolitano has any plans to recoup previous funding to ACORN.