ACORN

ACORN's latest trick

That corrupt “community organizing” group known as ACORN is going out of business — or so its CEO, Bertha Lewis, claims. She calls it the “end of an era.”

If only.

Lewis sent out a statement on Election Day saying the group was filing for bankruptcy. She blames a “right-wing media blitz” for ACORN’s troubles.

Alas, almost none of it is true. Certainly not her lame, right-wing-blame-game excuse. Indeed, not even the part about ACORN shutting down.

Think of it more as a mere name change — and a convenient way for ACORN to trim liabilities.

Even if it means stiffing creditors.

Yes, Congress cut off federal funds for ACORN last year after evidence emerged that seemed to show criminal activity by some of the group’s chapters. Who can forget, for example, those infamous videos of ACORN staffers offering advice on how to conduct housing fraud?

But Congress wasn’t at all “right-wing” at the time; it was controlled by Democrats.

And besides, a judge later ordered the federal cash restored.

Bad press, though, might have gotten ACORN honchos worried about its image — and future funding. So it looked to turn the setback into an opportunity, by re-branding and ripping up its bills.

“[Over] the next week or so we should see a dozen or more organizations launched on the state level by staff who used to work for ACORN and leaders who developed their skills as ACORN members,” ACORN strategist Nathan Henderson-James wrote in February.

“These are not just simple name changes, but re-imaginings of how best to organize low and moderate income constitiuencies [sic] without any of the legal problems and funding issues dogging ACORN, not to mention the brand damage.”

Sure enough, numerous ACORN spinoffs began popping up, including New York Communities for Change, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment and New England United for Justice.

And now, the national group itself is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. That presumably will leave Lewis & Co. free and clear of old debts.

Such a tactic, of course, is old hat for ACORN. After all, it’s just a variation on what the group has been teaching for decades: Borrow money for a home, even if you can’t pay it back — and if lenders turn up the heat, you can fight it in court or just walk away.

As for actually repaying debts, well . . . that’s for other folk.

Of course, that kind of thinking is what triggered the financial meltdown of 2008.

Taxpayers wound up picking up the tab for much of that mess.

All of which almost makes you wish the group remains in operation.

Almost.