EJS has throughout the fall joined many other organizations in supporting ACORN against attacks from the Right and also supported the lawsuit challenging Congress’s unconstitutional defunding of the organization. The court agreed.
On December 11, 2009, the Honorable Nina Gershon, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, granted a preliminary injunction to stop Congress from singling out a single organization for punishment without proper investigation or due process.
On November 12, 2009, ACORN, represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a case challenging Congress’s unconstitutional defunding of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The case charges Congress with violating the Bill of Attainder provision in the U.S. Constitution, violating the Fifth Amendment right to due process, and infringing on the First Amendment right to freedom of association by targeting affiliated and allied organizations, as well.
CCR attorneys say members of Congress violated the Constitution by declaring an organization guilty of a crime and punishing it and its members without benefit of a trial.
ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis said: “Today’s ruling is a victory for the Constitutional rights for all Americans and for the citizens who work through ACORN to improve their communities and promote responsible lending and homeownership.”