Rep. King accuses Conyers and Nadler of blocking ACORN probe

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) accused two Democratic committee chairmen of blocking an investigation into ACORN because of their ties to the organization.

In an interview with Fox News, King took aim at House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and Judiciary Constitution subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), whom he says have questionable connections to the organization.

The conservative lawmaker, who sits on the Judiciary panel, said the liberal Conyers made him write a letter regarding the investigation after Conyers had already received a prior version. King also said Conyers told him he does not know where ACORN's Detroit offices are, even though he spoke at the organization's national convention in June.

"It's been a delay practice on his part," King said. "It's beyond an opinion at this point."

King also cited a report accusing Nadler of assisting ACORN, or the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, with its lawsuit against the government over a bill Congress passed to strip the group of much of its funding. King, a fourth-term congressman, called Nadler's act "constitutionally suspect."

The Villager reported last month that the liberal Nadler, an opponent of the congressional sanction, contacted ACORN general counsel Arthur Schwartz about how the government was implementing the act. ACORN has called the removal of funding a “bill of attainder."

Conyers voted for the measure, which passed the House in September. Nadler and Conyers have been frequent targets of conservatives who are pressing for a full-fledged investigation of the group.

ACORN has come under fire from Republicans and some Democrats after two conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute caught ACORN employees on camera giving apparently criminal financial advice.

Many conservatives have also accused ACORN of committing voter fraud during the 2008 elections.