By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which supports anti-poverty and social justice programs nationwide, will no longer make grants to the embattled Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, better known as ACORN, because of allegations of embezzlement and widespread voter registration fraud against the organization.

According to an Associated Press report, the CCHD had planned to grant about $1 million to local groups across the country through ACORN this fiscal year but decided not to do so after claims surfaced that nearly $1 million had been embezzled from ACORN by the brother of its founder, Wade Rathke.

“There will be no funding relationships with ACORN groups in the future,” said Auxiliary Bishop Robert Morin of New Orleans, who is attending the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Baltimore this week.

ACORN executive director Steve Kekst declined to comment on the decision, saying only that he intended to speak with church leaders about it.

Dale Rathke embezzled money from ACORN in the amount of nearly $950,000 several years ago. Apparently, he has made commitments to repay about $210,000. His brother Wade is defending a decision to allow his brother to make restitution privately, saying that getting law enforcement involved would have risked ACORN’s financial ruin.

The incident was just one of many questionable practices by the organization that have surfaced in the past few months, including suspected widespread voter registration fraud.

The CCHD wil conduct its annual collection for funds the weekend before Thanksgiving, Nov. 22-23, and contributors can be assured that their money will not fall into the hands of ACORN.

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