The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is facing legal scrutiny in at least nine states for potential voter fraud. On Tuesday all three Wisconsin Republican House members Jim Sensenbrenner, Paul Ryan, and Tom Petri sent letters to Wisconsin Attorney General and Wisconsin's US attorneys calling for an investigation into ACORN.
"We understand that some Republicans don't want to see large numbers of low income people voting this year, says Jeff Ordower, Midwest Director of ACORN.
He finds it "interesting" that so close to the election there have been calls for investigations of ACORN yet more half of their registering nationwide was done by June.
He says ACORN has always communicated with election officials which voter registration cards were incomplete or not verified as well as fired employees who've not followed the rules. He believes the Republicans move is part of an effort to cast doubt on the election.
Ordower admits there are some individuals in ACORN who've not done their job correctly, citing its much easier for workers to cheat by copying out of the phone book than properly register new people.
Meanwhile, a third person has been charged in Milwaukee with turning in false voter registration forms to city officials. The state Justice Department says 29-year-old Frank Walton turned in 54 false registrations including one for a man who died 16 years ago. Walton worked for the Community Voters' Project. Two others from that group also face charges in Milwaukee. 46 other voter registrants from the Voters' project and ACORN still face possible fraud charges.