Anchor Steve Doocy first asked the ACORN critic if he was surprised by the recently released undercover videos showing employees of the organization trying to abet underage prostitution, tax evasion, and other crimes. Hall answered, “No, I’m not surprised,” and explained that “there is not much good in ACORN anymore, as far as its mission, and definitely not through its executive board.”
Hall conjectured that many of the ACORN employees that appeared on the undercover video “probably received about 13 seconds of training and said- ok, go out and make your- make your salary for a month.” Anchor Brian Kilmeade followed up on this and asked, “Here’s the problem, Greg. I don’t need any training to know that we probably shouldn’t counsel people on how to make prostitution work for you, all right?...what do you say to the [ACORN] directors who say- well, this tape’s been manipulated. It’s been overdubbed....What do you say?”
The former ACORN employee then accused the left-wing organization of wide corruption:
HALL: No- no, I say it’s ridiculous. I say, probably exactly what you saw on the tape is exactly what happened. [As] a matter of fact, if they really want to see- the folks who made the video- I’ve got lots of things they can go see more corrupt than what you’ve seen now. But no- what they’re doing now is just spinning it the best way they know how. I mean, you so the- everybody that comes out from ACORN’s executive group says- ok, everybody else is at fault except us- obviously not. But they’re the ones that are constantly giving the orders that say- make the money, no matter what- lie, steal, cheat- and I’ve got the witnesses to prove it. So they’re- they’re always saying that.Doocy asked Hall to be more specific in his charge. He repled, “Well, I’ve seen the voter registration fraud,” and cited the “workers that have been abused working off-the-clock- working overtime- not just overtime with no pay- but working 90 hours a week.” After giving other examples, the ACORN critic used his “most corrupt group in the country” label against his former employer.
The full transcript of the interview, which aired just before the bottom of the 8 am Eastern hour of Wednesday’s Fox and Friends:
BRIAN KILMEADE: What does the scandal-ridden group ACORN actually stand for? It stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Now, they’re supposed to help poor Americans fight foreclosures, register to vote, and fix tax problems. Well, that's not happening in many locations.
STEVE DOOCY: That’s right. Instead, at least four undercover videos that we have seen so far released are showing ACORN employees offering advice on how to avoid tax, housing and prostitution laws, not to mention at least 50 people arrested for voter fraud. Yet, Gregory Hall, a former ACORN employee, still believes in its cause and he joins us live from Washington. Good morning to you, Mr. Hall.
GREGORY HALL: Good morning. Thanks for having me back.
DOOCY: I think it’s great that when you worked for ACORN you tried to- you know, help poor people with the intended mission of ACORN. But, as you look at these videos, are you surprised? Because you were there- you saw what went down.
HALL: No-no, I’m not surprised, and let me- let me change it again. Yeah, I worked for ACORN, but I run an organization- we’re trying to reform ACORN through its employees now and its former employees.
DOOCY: Right.
HALL: There is not much good in ACORN anymore, as far as its mission, and definitely not through its executive board. There’s not- some good in some of its people, but most of the people that get into this- most of the folks that- that actually sign up are trying to do the right thing. They sign up- they’re passionate- they’re dedicated- they want to go out and actually help the communities.
I was involved in- in one of the organizations in Raleigh. They actually cleaned up drug dealers off the streets- went around- citizens with signs- and got rid of the drug dealers off of their corners. They do good stuff. Unfortunately- and the people that did the videos- that’s rampant, it’s obvious- but they probably received about 13 seconds of training and said- ok, go out and make your- make your salary for a month.
KILMEADE: Yeah. Here’s the problem, Greg. I don’t need any training to know that we probably shouldn’t counsel people on how to make prostitution work for you, all right?
HALL: No.
KILMEADE: And how to lie on tax [sic], and say stuff like, if you tell the truth, that’s not going to get you a mortgage. So are you- what do you say to the [ACORN] directors who say- well, this tape’s been manipulated. It’s been overdubbed. There’s something wrong here. What do you say?
HALL: No- no, I say it’s ridiculous. I say, probably exactly what you saw on the tape is exactly what happened. [As] a matter of fact, if they really want to see- the folks who made the video- I’ve got lots of things they can go see more corrupt than what you’ve seen now. But no- what they’re doing now is just spinning it the best way they know how. I mean, you so the- everybody that comes out from ACORN’s executive group says- ok, everybody else is at fault except us- obviously not. But they’re the ones that are constantly giving the orders that say- make the money, no matter what- lie, steal, cheat- and I’ve got the witnesses to prove it. So they’re- they’re always saying that.
DOOCY: Yeah. I know, Gregory, you feel that government funds should be cut off from ACORN. But you just had a tantalizing sound bite there. What evidence do you have of wrongdoing at ACORN?
HALL: Oh, my gosh. Well, I’ve seen the voter registration fraud. I’ve also seen the- when we did the minimum wage drive- I was actually witnesses to one of those where we got the people off the street and brought them in, and they got paid a certain thing, and then us salaried folks got another set of instructions. The workers that have been abused working off-the-clock- working overtime- not just overtime with no pay- but working 90 hours a week [unintelligible]. The members that get their bank accounts drafted four and five times a month, and all of a sudden, they go and complain and nobody knows anything about it. There’s corruption. This group- I mean, the reason we started doing this is- some old organizer friends of mine- and I was a laborer for a while- we found that ACORN was the most corrupt group in the country.
DOOCY: Wow.
HALL: So yeah, it’s systemic. It’s across the nation. You know- the mission is good.
KILMEADE: Right, the mission might be good, but the reason that they’re still in business- is it because they’re politically connected?
HALL: Yeah, there’s no doubt about that. It’s- it’s connected- and I'm a registered Democrat- voted- and always will be. But- definitely connected to the left- [unintelligible] SEIU- they’ve got connections that just funnel money into this place. I mean, so- until the money is cut federally- until they get rid of the money coming from the politicians, they’re going to continue this.
DOOCY:All right, Capitol Hill, are you listening? Gregory Hall feels you should cut the money plug- pull the money plug. All right, we thank you, sir, for joining us live today from DC.
HALL: Thanks very much.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.





BRIAN KILMEADE: What does the scandal-ridden group ACORN actually stand for? It stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Now, they’re supposed to help poor Americans fight foreclosures, register to vote, and fix tax problems. Well, that's not happening in many locations.














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Comments Policy
→ That's racist
September 16, 2009 - 11:55 ET by Cool ArrowABC News says so.
It's just noise!
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
Acorn has a better idea...
September 16, 2009 - 12:03 ET by wolfemanicI like where Hall says..."They actually cleaned up drug dealers off the streets- went around-
citizens with signs- and got rid of the drug dealers off of their
corners."
Apparently now ACORN wants to replace those drug dealers with child prostitutes.
...and their own brand of
September 16, 2009 - 12:17 ET by MrSnuggles...and their own brand of drug dealers that answer to ACORN.
Cast Outs
September 16, 2009 - 12:22 ET by wolfemanicHa! Right on the money.
I had a flash thought when writing the post that the drug dealers probably didn't want to join ACORN.
whole new thing
September 16, 2009 - 12:44 ET by jon_torlinWow, that's really taking the business route of buying the competition so that you can put out your own product of the same kind.
Kinda like what Microsoft did with Apple years ago. Just strictly business, right?
-Jon
IRS and ACORN
September 16, 2009 - 12:41 ET by slickwillie2001Next on the agenda, the relationship between the IRS and ACORN must be looked at:
Spotlight on IRS/ACORN Ties: http://www.americanthinker.com
Based on what passes at ACORN for tax advice, anyone that used ACORN to help fill out their taxes should be audited. ACORN should lose all licensing, or authority or whatever it is, to help people with their taxes.
I give this guy credit for doing this interview because...
September 16, 2009 - 13:20 ET by averageschmoeNow he is a racist!
Obviously a disgruntaled
September 16, 2009 - 13:26 ET by Dan The Man 2Obviously a disgruntaled employee trying to smear ACORN's good name. Most likely a GOP plot to disenfranchise the poor people and working class. I mean he is white so its racist.
DTM2, Could this be Obama's "Watergate"?
September 16, 2009 - 15:00 ET by goldenthroatThis whole scenario goes way beyond the incessant blathering about "racism" - ACORN could very well end up as Osama Bama's "Watergate" scandal.
Remember - they have been under the microscope since last November for alleged voter fraud in almost a dozen and a half states - they have been in the hip pocket of this sorrry administration from the get-go.
Now with these videos coming to light, this will not only take whatever credibility ACORN has left and blow it completely out of the water but cast an even longer shadow regarding Osama's association with them.
This presidency is beginning to implode. "Watergate" may not be able to hold a candle to what's about to happen to ACORN and their Lord Obamessiah!
"How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?" - Firesign Theatre
Obama's Watergate? Hmm.
September 16, 2009 - 15:04 ET by black47211Obama's Watergate? Hmm. Now that is an interesting thought.
Time will tell, as Beck is 10 times the investigative guy (NOT a journalist, by his own admission) that Woodward and Bernstein ever were.
You might actually be onto something here, goldenthroat.
http://www.pelicanmarsh68.blogspot.com
No because Duh One is a
September 16, 2009 - 18:38 ET by Dan The Man 2No because Duh One is a Democrat and black and the SCM is in his pocket. Nixon was hated and the media wanted his head.
Won't be long now until the
September 16, 2009 - 14:29 ET by G. MayWon't be long now until the MSM picks up a story detailing the current President's history with ACORN!
G. May... ..in glowing
September 16, 2009 - 15:09 ET by bigtimerG. May...
..in glowing terms dontcha know.
Go Green...Recycle Congress'
BT, that's like saying...
September 16, 2009 - 15:41 ET by goldenthroat"The check is in the mail"; "I'll respect you in the morning"; "Sure, this part will fit - we'll MAKE it fit!"; "This will hurt me more than it will you"...
The MSM will cover ACORN? BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
"Who am us, anyway?" - Firesign Theatre
That is not teh ACORN I once
September 16, 2009 - 18:39 ET by Dan The Man 2That is not teh ACORN I once knew.
exitus acta probat
September 16, 2009 - 18:40 ET by sevenexitus acta probat
exitus acta probat?
September 16, 2009 - 18:44 ET by FeynmanFanYour chicken has a goiter? ;)
"Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments against error. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged" - Thomas Jefferson
Nah, FeynmanFan, it really means...
September 16, 2009 - 21:16 ET by goldenthroat"...the Pinto is in the shop again."
"Who am us, anyway?" - Firesign Theatre
Thanks, Goldenthroat
September 16, 2009 - 21:22 ET by FeynmanFanI didn't think my translation was right. My Latin is really bad.
"Reason and persuasion are the only practical instruments against error. To make way for these, free inquiry must be indulged" - Thomas Jefferson