ArchPundit

I’m finding the defund ACORN Act to be a great idea.  Why?

SEC. 2. PROHIBITIONS ON FEDERAL FUNDS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN INDICTED ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Prohibitions- With respect to any covered organization, the following prohibitions apply:

(1) No Federal contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or any other form of agreement (including a memorandum of understanding) may be awarded to or entered into with the organization.

(2) No Federal funds in any other form may be provided to the organization.

(3) No Federal employee or contractor may promote in any way (including recommending to a person or referring to a person for any purpose) the organization.

(b) Covered Organization- In this section, the term `covered organization’ means any of the following:

(1) Any organization that has been indicted for a violation under any Federal or State law governing the financing of a campaign for election for public office or any law governing the administration of an election for public office, including a law relating to voter registration.

(2) Any organization that had its State corporate charter terminated due to its failure to comply with Federal or State lobbying disclosure requirements.

(3) Any organization that has filed a fraudulent form with any Federal or State regulatory agency.

(4) Any organization that–

(A) employs any applicable individual, in a permanent or temporary capacity;

(B) has under contract or retains any applicable individual; or

(C) has any applicable individual acting on the organization’s behalf or with the express or apparent authority of the organization….

(3) The term `applicable individual’ means an individual who has been indicted for a violation under Federal or State law relating to an election for Federal or State office.

This would exclude any just about ever government contract.  KBR itself has been accused of submitting $13 Billion in fraudulent bills to the Pentagon. Any corporation that tried to cover up a pollutant release would be covered making GE pretty much unable to get any contracts.  Blackwater? LOL–goodbye. But also Boeing and almost all defense contractors who ever have been caught having an employee submitting a padded bill.

Realistically this sort of legislation could never be practically implemented, but I think it raises some excellent issues regarding fraud and government contractors on a level far greater than ACORN which gets relative chicken feed from the federal government. This doesn’t mean ACORN shouldn’t be held accountable, it just makes the crusade against them look insane.  Democrats ought to sign on as sponsors and see if the Republicans really want to follow through with it.