Acorn Organizers Mobilize to Restore Group’s Credibility

Acorn, the community-organizing group, is moving quickly to muster support among donors and clients to offset the damage done to the group’s credibility by recent hidden-camera videos, reports the Associated Press.

Along with a fund-raising plea designed to offset lost federal and foundation money, the group is mobilizing low-income inner-city residents who have benefited from its housing, employment, and other services to work phone banks and speak out at community meetings on behalf of the organization.

Acorn has taken a public-relations beating and lost ties with institutions such as the Census Bureau and Bank of America following the release of videos showing staff members in two of the organization’s local offices offering advice to a couple posing as a prostitute and pimp.