ACORN Needs to be Prosecuted

I'm no legal expert, but it's nice that the DC Examiner also thinks that ACORN needs to be prosecuted using the RICO statute:

It’s getting steadily more difficult to detect differences between an organized nationwide criminal conspiracy to commit voter fraud and the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Thus far in the 2008 campaign, state election officials representing both major political parties in 15 states, including such key battlegrounds as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, have accused ACORN of various schemes involving widespread voter fraud. The pattern is so pervasive - and the danger to our electoral system so dire – that it demands federal intervention.

The Justice Department’s indictment in 2005 of the Milberg Weiss class-action securities law firm under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) did not involve charges of mob involvement. Ultimately, the firm plea bargained and several of its senior partners now reside in federal prisons. Likewise, ACORN’s repeated abuses don’t include mafia links, but the pattern matches the organized criminal conduct RICO was passed to combat.

ACORN likes to say all this uproar is about supressing the vote of poor and/or minority voters, but that's simply ridiculous. What these investigations across the country are about the fact that ACORN has no discernible quality controls in place for their voter registration process. It is well worth noting that the investigations are being conducted as often by Democrats as by Republicans.

Voter fraud is a felony offense, and it must be investigated thoroughly if we the people are to have any confidence in this rapidly approaching election's legitimacy.

Hat Tip: Instapundit

UPDATE: Even the Associated Press is noticing that 200,000 out of 600,000 new Ohio voter registrations have address and/or social security discrepancies. It doesn't mean all of those 200,000 registrations are fraudulent, but even a small number such as 5,000 could potentially swing the Presidential election.

UPDATE 2: Oh, and Hot Air reports that the FBI is now launching a nationwide investigation of ACORN. About time!