From the Wall Street Journal (June 29, 2009):
Some Republican members of Congress want the U.S. Census Bureau to end a 2010 Census partnership with Acorn, the community organizing group that was hit by accusations of voter-registration fraud in the 2006 and 2008 elections.Acorn, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, signed up in February with the bureau to be a “2010 Census Partner,” which includes, among other things, identifying job candidates, encouraging its members to participate in the count and distributing literature explaining the importance of the census.
But in the wake of accusations that some former Acorn employees engaged in voter registration fraud in the 2006 and 2008 elections, the partnership isn’t sitting well with some Republicans on Capitol Hill who worry that Acorn could skew results. There’s a lot at stake since the census is used to dole out money to states and localities and to allocating seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
…
Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa) tried unsuccessfully to attach an amendment to a must-pass appropriations bill to forbid any Acorn involvement in the 2010 Census. The outspoken Mr. King is perhaps the most vocal critic of the organization, introducing a host of bills that would limit Acorn’s affairs in federal governance.
As for allegations of voter registration fraud — some Acorn employees were accused of signing up voters using names like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys — Acorn spokesman Scott Levenson said his organization has cooperated fully with authorities, and promptly dismissed people accused of with wrongdoing.
At the time, many of the potentially faulty registrations were flagged to election officials as a result of the group’s own internal controls.
That hasn’t dispelled the distrust. “There is a trust issue when you mention Acorn and the census together, regardless of what they’re doing. It casts doubt on the accuracy that would come out” of the headcount, said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R., Ga.).