MD Attorney General Calls for Investigation of ACORN’s Baltimore City Office

This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone who hasn’t been living in a cave for the past few weeks.  Since the video of the ACORN staffers and the pimp/prostitute clients went viral, the media has been buzzing about ACORN and their low-rent tactics (no pun intended).

Now the Baltimore Sun is reporting that the MD Attorney General is calling for an investigation of our local ACORN office.  Frankly, ever since the incident with Louis Beverly and Donna Hanks back in February, we haven’t been too keen on ACORN.  Especially when we dug a little deeper into Mr. Beverly’s activities and found that he had quite the nasty criminal record, along with being the defendant in a couple of lawsuits involving unsafe housing conditions.

Besides the Maryland Attorney General’s investigation, the group is also the subject of an investigation by the US Department of Justice, at the request of Rep. Lamar Smith (R) of Texas.  Additionally, the Senate voted 83-7 in favor of cutting off all Federal funding to ACORN, according to Fox News. The US Census Bureau has also cut ties with ACORN.

Baltimore ACORN In the News Again

Apparently ACORN will not only help you break into your home once the bank takes it back, they’ll also help you set up a house of ill repute. Why is this organization not under scrutiny?

Baltimore ACORN “Activist” Louis Beverly is Also a Slumlord, Records Show

After receiving a tip from a reader, and seeing this blog post from Inside Charm City, we thought the story deserved a closer look.

Approximately two weeks ago, ACORN “activist” Louis Beverly assisted Donna Hanks in breaking into her former home.  Hanks owed $260,000 when the house was placed into foreclosure.  Louis Beverly, in an ill-fated publicity stunt, broke the lock on the home, allowing Ms. Hanks entry.  As a result, both are facing criminal charges, and Ms. Hanks still doesn’t have her house back.  After a closer look into Louis Beverly’s background, the stunt looks even more ridiculous.  Louis Beverly has faced multiple foreclosures, most on his rental property located at 2622 Harford Road.  He has also been charged numerous times by the city for failing to maintain his properties, owning a property that was not fit for human habitation, trash dumping, failing to register his property as a rental property, and failure to provide a safe means of egress.  All of which are serious health and safety issues for his tenant(s). Along with his property violations, Mr. Beverly was also found guilty of battery and weapons charges.

In addition to his rental property on Harford Road that is currently in foreclosure, Mr. Beverly also owns a rental property at 540 Baker Street, located on a blighted block off North Avenue, and his residence on E. 25th Street.  We believe Mr. Beverly’s time and energy would be better spent fixing his properties and being a better landlord, than working on cheap publicity stunts.

Donna Hanks, the center of the failed ACORN “takeback” attempt, was found to be illegally renting out the basement of her S. Ellwood Street home, and was also charged with assault and possession of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure, both in 2008.