WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Census Bureau ended a partnership Friday with ACORN after videos surfaced of employees of the community group offering advice on running a brothel.
Robert Groves, the head of the Census Bureau, told Maude Hurd, president of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, that the publicity is a distraction from the work of the Census, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The hidden-camera videos were made by James O'Keefe, reportedly a 25-year-old conservative activist, who posed as a would-be politician with a prostitute girlfriend. The videos, posted on YouTube, were filmed in Baltimore and in Washington, the Journal said.
ACORN has been under attack by conservatives, who have accused the group of widespread voter registration fraud.
Brian Kettenring, ACORN's deputy national director, said the end of its formal relationship with the Census Bureau will not change its activities.
"We will continue to do what we've said we'll do, which is encourage people in communities to participate fully in the census," he said.
