Seven ACORN Canvassers Charged with Voter Registration Fraud

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala today charged seven canvassers for the community group ACORN with forgery and related offenses. Zappala alleges the group functioned under a quota system in which workers were required to amass a certain number of registrations to receive pay. This type of system is prohibited by the Pennsylvania Election Code. Zappala says ACORN workers registered themselves several times, falsified information on voter registration forms, switched party affiliations multiple times, and even forged a registration for an election official to meet their quota. Those charged are:

Ashley Lucille Clarke, 21, of Pittsburgh. Clarke faces charges of forgery, solicitation of registration for pay, unsworn falsification of authorities, obstructing the administration of law or government function, interference with voter registration, and impersonating another person in a voter registration application.

Alexis M. Givner, 23, of West Mifflin is charged with forgery, solicitation, unsworn falsification, obstruction, interference and impersonation.

Mario Wyatt Grisom, 28, of Pittsburgh, with forgery, solicitation, unsworn falsification, obstruction, interference and impersonation.

Latasha Leann Kinney, 27 is charged with forgery, solicitation, unsworn falsification, obstruction, interference and impersonation.

Eric Eugene Jordan, 19, of Pittsburgh, faces charges of solicitation for pay and interference.

Eric Lee Jones, 20, of Pittsburgh, is charged with forgery, solicitation, unsworn falsification, obstruction and interference.

Bryan Williams, 22, of McKeesport, faces charges of obstruction and interference.
Two of the workers charged today were already in custody on unrelated offenses.

One of the canvassers had previously been fired by ACORN for forging registrations.
A total of 51 charges of forgery were issued and Zappala says the investigation is not over.

In the past, ACORN has denied offering compensation for signatures.