Why is Homeland Security giving fire department grants to ACORN?

Washington Times:

Nearly $1 million in Homeland Security funding typically earmarked for fire departments has been awarded to ACORN, despite a clear signal from Congress that it intends to cut off federal funding to the embattled group.

The grant to ACORN's Louisiana office became public on Oct. 2, less than three weeks after the House and Senate voted to cut off ACORN funding after employees were caught on video advising a fake prostitute and pimp on scams.

It was one of only three such grants issued to the state and made up almost 80 percent of the firefighting money earmarked for Louisiana, prompting one of the U.S. senators from the state to demand that the funds be taken back.

"I request that you rescind this grant based on a history of abuse of federal dollars by ACORN and their clear lack of expertise in this area," said Sen. David Vitter, Louisiana Republican.

The group has headquarters in Louisiana.

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ACORN received $997,402, slightly less than the maximum allowable grant of $1 million. A total of $35 million was available for the grants project to fire districts across the country this year.

"Several Louisiana fire departments have voiced their serious concerns to me over the award of these funds to ACORN," Mr. Vitter said in the letter.

"We can all understand that there are never enough funds to allocate for all the deserving requests of fire departments, and each year there are many more requests than funds available," he wrote. "But when so many fire departments throughout the nation are struggling for funding for important and lifesaving projects, how is it that a non-fire department with no clear expertise in fire safety and prevention is given such a large award for fire safety?"

"These firefighters that put their lives on the line for the safety of their communities deserve a full explanation of this award," Mr. Vitter said.

The money, formally awarded for fiscal year 2008, was given to the ACORN Institute, which bills itself as a research and training facility "to combat the poverty, discrimination and community deterioration that keeps low-income people from taking advantage of their rights and opportunities."

This is the second year ACORN has been awarded the fire prevention and safety grant. In the 2007 fiscal year, ACORN received $450,484 out of Louisiana's $859,596 share.

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This grant is inexplicable and that is probably the reason Napalitano has not yet responded to Vitter's letter about the grant. It is not clear how ACORN plans to spend the grant proceeds, but with their history of a lack of transparency and embezzlement there is reason for concern. This smells of Democrat payoff for ACORN's organized voter registration fraud and their support for the Obama campaign.