News of the raid comes from Marcel Reid and her colleagues at ACORN 8, an association of former ACORN leaders and board members. Many of the individuals involved with ACORN 8 were fired from ACORN for demanding a forensic audit following an embezzlement scandal involving Dale Rathke, brother of ACORN co-founder Wade Rathke.According to NOLA.com:
Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has served a search warrant at the ACORN office at 2609 Canal Street, according to Tammi Arender Herring, a spokeswoman with the office.Whole story here.
Investigators in khaki pants and polo shirts loaded several dozen computers and other electronic items into an SUV. They are also carrying records out of the building on handcarts.
The large office building sits at the corner of Dorgenois and Canal. ACORN staffers were given no notice that a search would be conducted today, Herring said.
From WDAM in New Orleans:
Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said a warrant was obtained to seize computers, hard drives and other documents after ACORN attorneys said two unidentified former employees took computers and other items when they left the organization.
Caldwell said investigators will copy records and hard drives, then return them to ACORN.
He said the original allegations of embezzlement were made last year by ACORN board members who were fired after they asked for a forensic examination of the group’s books.
ACORN fired the longtime director of its Louisiana chapter last month, citing a lack of accountability.
Whole story here.
The ‘longtime director’ of ACORNS’s Louisiana chapter is Beth Butler, the longtime companion of ACORN co-founder Wade Rathke.
Stay tuned--I'll try and keep you updated as more info becomes available...
