ACORN offices across Texas are temporarily halting the bulk of their work, following the lead of other chapters nationwide, as ACORN re-trains workers and makes sure proper policies and procedures are in place to avoid any improper activity.

The Fort Worth office is at least temporarily closed, as the state chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now studies whether to fund reopening the local office, a choice likely not made easier by Congress' move Thursday to halt even more funding for the group.

"We have an obligation to make sure that we take all the precautionary steps to make sure our staff is doing the job right," said Ginny Goldman, statewide head organizer for the Texas ACORN. "Outside consultants who are experts are working to make sure all of our staff is up to par.

"We're proud of the work that we've done and we will continue the work," she said. "We have no secrets. We are open for business."

She and others say support has poured in for their non-partisan group that works to help low-income people, many of whom traditionally lean Democrat, as controversy swirls nationwide about a hidden video disseminated to news organizations.

"Most people see this for what it is," said Bonnie Mathias of Dallas, a member on ACORN's national board. "It's a political attack on working families."

On a hidden-camera video released Monday, two ACORN employees are seen apparently advising a couple that was posing as a prostitute and her pimp to lie about her profession and launder her earnings. The video was the latest in a series that has already led to the firing of four ACORN employees in Baltimore and Washington. It was created by James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles and posted on BigGovernment.com, where O'Keefe identifies himself as an activist filmmaker.

ACORN officials say they've ordered an independent investigation into the videos. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has said he's looking into aspects of ACORN's activities; the state comptroller's office has said the group received no state funding in 2008 or 2009, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Federal reaction

Some Senate members are working to cut federal funding to the group from the transportation and housing departments earlier this week and the Interior Department on Thursday.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, last year called for an investigation into the group over potential election fraud. "It is time to crack open ACORN and expose once and for all the organization's full record of offenses," he said.

On Thursday, the House pushed through an amendment on a college loan act to ban all federal funding for ACORN.

"This group has been accused of a laundry list of crimes and ethical violations - from voter fraud and human trafficking to assisting the establishment of a prostitution ring," said U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington. "I am fighting to make sure that this group never again receives one cent of taxpayers' hard-earned money."

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, sent a letter to the attorney general asking for an ACORN investigation and he signed a letter that Minority Leader John Boehner sent to President Obama.

"The recent reports of ongoing, allegedly fraudulent action by ACORN is very troubling and should be of grave concern to every American," he said.

Back at home

ACORN officials hope to determine by the end of the year whether to reopen the Fort Worth office. "We're reviewing our resources and progress we've made in Fort Worth," Goldman said.

For now, the Dallas ACORN office represents Dallas and Tarrant counties.

"We are going to continue doing the work we do," Mathias said. "We won't stop answering the phones and helping people as much as we can."

State Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, said he has worked with local ACORN representatives, including on a foreclosure fair in his district, and praised their work. "They are good, Christian folks working hard every day," he said.

State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, also has worked with ACORN, and once attended a national convention of the group. He praised local workers but said he's "disappointed and sad" at the national controversy.

"The right-wingers are out to kill a progressive, populist, economic justice organization," he said.

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