Minnesota Governor Stops All ACORN Funding

In addition to Pawlenty's action, the Census Bureau has also broken ties with ACORN.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNSNews.com) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R.) sent a letter Wednesday afternoon to the director of the Minnesota Commission of Management and Budget ordering him to stop all state funding to ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).

"The letter cites recent reports of questionable behavior and potentially illegal activity by ACORN and states that they are of great concern to the governor and underscores the recent vote by the U.S. Senate to ban federal funding to ACORN, which also reflects those concerns," Pawlenty spokesman Alex Carey told CNSNews.com.

In the letter, the governor directs Hanson to stop all state funding to ACORN, unless the state is legally obligated to continue funding. No precise dollar amount is available, Carey said.

"In addition, the letter directs" the commission "to conduct a thorough review of the state's relationship with ACORN and to report back to the governor with his findings," he said.

ACORN has been under fire since hidden-camera videos made in Baltimore, Washington, New York and San Bernardino, Calif., appeared to show ACORN officials advising a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp on how to disguise their business. The videos were produced by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, who posed as the pimp and prostitute, and were posted on Andrew Breitbart's BigGovernment.com.

In addition to Pawlenty's action, the Census Bureau has also broken ties with ACORN and the Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN.

[Editor's note: On Wednesday evening the Associated Press cited an ACORN official who said the organization had no contracts that would be affected by Gov. Pawlenty's move. "ACORN deputy political director Kevin Whelan says there are no present contracts that would be affected in Minnesota," the AP reported. "Whelan says Pawlenty's move 'seems like it's motivated by politics or publicity.'"]

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