Project Vote

According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the Illinois Secretary of State, Project Vote’s purpose is to “lessen the burdens of government, promote the social welfare, lessen neighborhood tensions, eliminate prejudice and discrimination, combat community deterioration, and relieve that [sic] poor and distressed through educating the public about rights, privileges and opportunities in the area of civic participation, and all permitted activities incidental to or in furtherance of these purposes.”

Barack Obama served as Director for Project Vote in 1992. The organization, which works to register low-income and minority voters, was founded in 1982. Project Vote is affiliated with ACORN, and the two organizations work closely together. ACORN reported that “Project Vote, a nonpartisan voter registration organization, became the newest member of the ACORN family of organizations in 1994.” In an article posted on ACORN’s website in early October 2008, “ACORN and Project Vote announced the conclusion of the most successful nonpartisan voter registration drive in history, assisting more than 1.3 million Americans complete applications to register to vote in 21 states.”

In November 2007, Senator Obama addressed ACORN and thanked the organization for its work. While Obama has denied that he had any involvement with ACORN other than some legal work he did for them in 1995, his statements in 2007 suggest otherwise. In Senator Obama’s own words, “I've been fighting alongside Acorn on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drive in Illinois, Acorn was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work.”

Documents

• Project Vote

Woods Fund

Barack Obama served on the Board of Directors for the Woods Fund from 1997 to 2001. Other notable board members included William Ayers and Howard Stanback. While many are familiar with William Ayers and his ties to Obama, many are less aware of Stanback. Howard Stanback may have helped Obama to secure a deal on his house, and also has close ties to Allison Davis, Obama’s former boss and close business associate with Anton Rezko. In 2000, Allison Davis applied for a $1 million grant for a housing project, Neighborhood Rejuvenation LP. Obama voted to approve the grant.

The Woods Fund is self described as having “exclusively charitable, religious, literary, scientific and educational purposes.” Given its mission as a charitable educational fund, one might not expect to find the following in its bylaws: “No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation” (emphasis added). During the five years Barack Obama sat on the Board of Directors, donations were made to several extremely controversial organizations.

The Woods Fund gave $60,000 to the Children and Family Justice Center, an organization run by William Ayers’ wife, Bernadine Dohrn. The Woods Fund also gave $50,000 to an organization run by William Ayers himself, the Small Schools Network. The Fund also granted $6,000 to Obama’s church, the Trinity United Church of Christ. It is unknown why the church, ministered to by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, needed a grant. According to the Woods Fund’s tax form, the grant is listed as “for special purposes.” In addition, the Woods Fund gave $75,000 directly to ACORN.

Documents

• Woods Fund