I think the answer is going to be “no,” but I suppose it’s worth asking.
Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins today called on all three statewide candidates on the Democratic ticket, plus all relevant Democratic political entities, to return all contributions received from the Service Employees International Union, a big labor group closely affiliated with the scandal-plagued organization ACORN. SEIU President Andy Stern sits on ACORN’s advisory council. Combined, SEIU has contributed nearly $450,000 to Democratic candidates or Democratic Party committees in 2008 and 2009.
Oh, pish-posh, I can hear you saying. The scandal is with ACORN, not with their office-mate SEIU. The Virginia GOP does remind us of some other ties:
1. ACORN’s biggest union backer, SEIU, gave more than $4 million to the community organization and its affiliates from 2006 to 2007, according to Department of Labor filings.
2. SEIU president Andy Stern sits on ACORN’s advisory council.
3. One SEIU local, the Illinois Homecare Workers and Home Childcare Providers, sprouted from ACORN’s organizing efforts and pays rent to ACORN.
4. SEIU locals 100 and 880 are identified as allied organizations on ACORN’s website.
5. U.S. Department of Labor LM-2’s (financial disclosure forms) point to over $600,000 in transactions between SEIU locals 100 and 880 and other ACORN operations.
6. ACORN founder S. Wade Rathke referred to mega-union SEIU 880 as “one of the pillars of the ACORN Family.”