State ACORN leaders regroup

Several longtime Louisiana ACORN members, backed by one state lawmaker, said Saturday that they will continue their work under the same name -- but within a new organization -- after the group's national leader ousted the director of the state chapter.

"The ACORN people you see at this table are the legitimate ACORN," said Vanessa Gueringer, an executive board member of Louisiana ACORN.

The organization's rift was revealed this month when the leader of the national ACORN, Bertha Lewis, fired Beth Butler from her post as the state group's executive director and named Stephen Bradberry, a longtime ACORN member, as temporary administrator.

Gueringer said the new group does not "in any way accept the position of Stephen Bradberry" or the national organization.

State Sen. Ann Duplessis threw her support behind the new group, calling the New Orleans chapter "one of the best." She said the local chapter has remained scandal-free and promised to help it any way she can.

"There is no (hidden) agenda," Duplessis said. "The agenda is: How do we bring our communities back?"

Gueringer said the national organization has never officially notified the Louisiana chapter of any takeover, other than ousting Butler, or given a reason for its recent actions.

Money, she said, is likely at the heart of it.

In fact, the split may have its roots in the departure last year of ACORN founder Wade Rathke, whose brother, Dale Rathke, was found to have embezzled at least $1 million from the organization.

Later, dissension grew between Wade Rathke's national successors and Louisiana ACORN authorities about control of the state group's assets and operations.

Gueringer said she fully expects there to be a legal battle between the splinter group and the national organization over the use of the ACORN name and the fate of resources, mainly money, the local leaders claim have been taken from them illegally.

Bradberry has said local ACORN members have the right to start any new organization as long as they do not use the ACORN name or any of its financial resources.

"Our ideals are the same," said Beulah Labostrie, Louisiana ACORN's president. "Nothing has changed except legal issues, and we'll deal with them."

Although an announcement for Saturday's news conference had said Butler would be present, she did not attend.

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Danny Monteverde can be reached at dmonteverde@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3300.