FEMA to GOP: We never gave grant to ACORN

The Federal Emergency Management Agency this week clarified it did not award a $1 million fire prevention grant to ACORN -- a move Republican lawmakers have since praised.

The Department of Homeland Security initially earmarked the money for ACORN long before House and Senate lawmakers mobilized to cut the group's access to federal dollars, but FEMA never followed through and provided ACORN the money.

But a number of GOP lawmakers -- including Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) -- had expressed concern in recent weeks that ACORN might still see the grant in question. In a letter submitted in mid-September, they asked FEMA Director Craig Fugate to offer the money instead to "another reputable organization in the New Orleans area."

FEMA again made clear it did not give ACORN the money, a decision Bilirakis -- the ranking member on the subcommittee that oversees FEMA -- praised.

“ACORN has demonstrated it is not worthy of the public’s trust, and I am pleased that FEMA has agreed with me and others in Congress who believe we should not be funding this corrupt enterprise," the congressman said.

"Taxpayer's money should not be going to an organization which has engaged in unlawful behavior," he added. "This is not the type of activity that should be rewarded with scarce homeland security resources."

This year, however, would not have marked the first time FEMA offered money to ACORN to assist fire department in Louisiana. Under the previous administration, FEMA awarded the same grant -- at about half the size -- in the 2007 fiscal year.