GOP lawyers want Justice investigation of ACORN

A group of Republican lawyers called Tuesday on the Justice Department to launch an investigation into the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) called on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to suspend any funding to ACORN to carry out

The group filed a formal complaint with the two cabinet agencies asking for investigation and suspended funding for the group during those investigations.

"It is now clearer than ever that our government has an absolute obligation and responsibility to conduct an investigation into ACORN and its pattern of potentially illegal activities," said RNLA co-chair Cleta Mitchell.

The complaint marks a bit of a pile-on for ACORN by Republicans this week, after Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) successfully got an amendment through the Senate last night to forbid ACORN from receiving federal housing grants from HUD. The Senate approved that on an 83-7 vote.

Mitchell insisted that while the amendment is welcome, more action toward ACORN is needed.

"That does not address the important work of the OIG-HUD and DOJ in investigating the potential misappropriation of the tens of millions of dollars already received and spent by ACORN," Mitchell said.