ACORN Videos Bring Problems to Group but Not Criminal Charges

Despite some of its employees being caught on video six months ago apparently encouraging illicit activities, ACORN has proven to be a tough nut to crack.

The series of undercover videos, made at the community group's field offices across the country, were released in September and show ACORN employees appearing to offer tax advice to a couple posing as a prostitute and her pimp.

The videos have dealt a major blow to the group’s image and its financing, but ACORN has been able to elude any criminal charges.

On Monday, three ACORN employees in New York were cleared of criminal wrongdoing. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office said its five-month inquiry is over and that no criminal activity was found.

"We are gratified that the district attorney, after a thorough investigation, found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by ACORN," said a statement by Jean Sassine, a spokeswoman for the organization that has replaced ACORN's Brooklyn operation.

In December, an independent investigator hiredd by ACORN after the release of the videos concluded that there was no criminal conduct.

In his 47-page assessment, former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger said ACORN leaders “appear committed to effect reform and are on their way to preserving ACORN and its mission in a reduced size and scope.”

But ACORN investigations are far from over.

The Government Accountability Office is investigating ACORN’s use of federal funds along with other ongoing federal and state investigations.

The 40-year-old organization is trying to rebuild itself in the wake of the scandal.

Several of ACORN's local offices have officially disbanded and resumed operations under new names and with similar staff in an effort to rebrand itself.

In Brooklyn, the newly established New York Communities for Change "is committed to moving forward with management and transparency reforms and building a strong independent organization to advocate for low-income New Yorkers," Sassine said.

The videos were made by conservative activists Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe, who used a hidden camera on visits to ACORN offices in Brooklyn; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; California, and elsewhere.

The videos created a political and media firestorm when they were released, on top of earlier allegations at the organization of voter-registration fraud and embezzlement. In September, Congress blocked previously approved funds from going to ACORN.

"Hopefully today's announcement, and similar results from independent reviews, will make politicians and media examine the facts more carefully the next time a valuable community organization is attacked," ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said Monday in a statement.

But Kurt Bardella, spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, said Monday that ongoing federal and state investigations "will expose the criminal nature of ACORN's deliberate effort to abuse taxpayer dollars to advance a radical political agenda."

Since the videos were released, O'Keefe and three others have been arrested and accused of trying to tamper with Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office phones. O'Keefe has denied the charges and said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling the Democrat's office couldn't get through to criticize her support of a health care overhaul bill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.