ACORN leader says critics mounted ‘McCarthy-era war against the poor’ after report clears organization of wrongdoing

The former president of the now-dissolved activist group ACORN struck back at Republicans, Democrats and even the Obama Administration Thursday after a federal report cleared the organization of misusing federal funds and election fraud.

In an exclusive interview with Raw Story -- her first public remarks since the report’s release -- ACORN's Bertha Lewis said the findings of the Government Accountability Office proves the withering criticism against ACORN that all but shuttered the group was an orchestrated right wing attack against the poor.

“This was a McCarthy-era style war against the poor and minorities, nothing more,” the group's former leader told Raw Story.

“This proves the right will resort to anything to maintain power to continue the war on poor black and brown people,” she added.

“Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh can call me a racist all they want to,” she said. “But there is no way there was not a racial element and class element to this whole attack.”

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