Witness: Obama Gave ACORN Clone Donor List

Lots and lots of ACORN news today.

First off, Barack Obama's presidential campaign gave an ACORN-affiliated group a "donor list" last year for fundraising efforts.

That, at least, was the testimony today of a former staffer for Project Vote, a voter education and registration group that focuses on "low-income, minority, and other disenfranchised communities requires a comprehensive approach." The hearing was part of a Pennsylvania Republican Party lawsuit aimed at curbing voter fraud in next week's election.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Anita Moncrief, a former Washington, D.C. staffer for Project Vote, which she described as a sister organization of ACORN, said her supervisor told her the list of campaign contributors came from the Obama campaign. Moncrief said she has a copy of a "development plan" that outlines how Obama contributors who had "maxed out" under federal campaign contribution limits would be targeted to give to Project Vote. It was her job to identify such contributors.

But even potentially more damaging, Moncrief also said she took a call from an Obama campaign worker inquiring whether it was the same organization Obama had worked with in the 1990's. She claims she received several warnings to "back off" from testifying by various ACORN workers, and said the incentive to churn out more voter registration cards was cold, hard cash.

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"The (voter) cards are tied to money. The more cards you get the more money you get," said Moncrief, who was fired from Project Vote for using a group credit card for personal expenses.

AP says Project Vote spokesman Michael McDunnah denied that the list came from Obama's campaign.

A quick look at Project Vote's Web site shows that the group does in fact work with ACORN:

"The NVRA Implementation Project-a partnership between Project Vote, ACORN and Demos-aims to improve voter registration services at public assistance agencies. Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 requires states to offer voter registration to public assistance clients upon application, recertification or renewal, and change of addresses. The Project develops best practices, investigates compliance and offers technical assistance."

The Obama campaign said it wasn't involved in ACORN registration drives and has repeatedly said the Illinois senator has had no contact with the group since he represented it in a 1995 lawsuit, and conducted some training sessions with the organization.

"Our campaign has not coordinated with ACORN whatsoever on any voter registration activities," said Obama spokesman Sean Smith.

The McCain-Palin campaign has been trying to hammer away at Obama on whatever ties he may have to ACORN, which is under investigation by the FBI. I reported to you earlier this week that the Indiana secretary of state has also called for a criminal probe.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis today said Moncrief's testimony "proves Barack Obama is guilty of lying to the American people about his relationship with ACORN."

ACORN Launches Ad Campaign

Former U.S. Senator Jack Danforth, co-chair of the McCain-Palin Honest and Open Election Committee, told reporters today that the increasing reports of possible shady activity by ACORN workers just amplifies the need for Obama's campaign to join them to combat voter fraud heading into next week. Danforth said Obama's staff has continually rebuffed efforts to work together on it.

"We think the Obama campaign has really missed an opportunity here and what do I think is gonna come from ACORN? I don't know. But what I'm saying is, we've got a serious problem here," Danforth said.

If there turn out to be 400,000 bad voter registrations, turned in by one organization in a close election, he added, "we've got the possibility of a real problem."

In part in its defense, ACORN today released a 30-second ad [above] on voter suppression it says Republicans and McCain surrogates are responsible for, calling on McCain "to put an end to these tactics." The group also announced a series of lawsuits targeted at alleged voter suppression by Republicans in New Mexico, Philadelphia, Ohio's Hamilton County, California, Virginia's Montgomery County, and Ontario, California.

"Senator McCain needs to instruct his operatives and supporters to cease and desist.," said ACORN Executive Director Steve Kest. "Nothing is more important to the fabric of our democracy than protecting the rights of American voters. Senator McCain should instead join us in trying to make it easier for voters to exercise their rights, by calling for measures such as extending early voting hours, to facilitate the greatest possible participation in this historic election."

Danforth questioned why calling out ACORN or any other group for potential fraud or other unlawful activities equals "voter suppression."

"Any type of intimidation or suppression is illegal, reprehensible – it is condemned by the McCain campaign," he said. "Trying to put an end to fraud does not equal vote suppression."


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