After Firing Workers, ACORN Sues Over Video That Brought Them Down

A much-publicized hidden-camera video that led ACORN to fire two Baltimore workers and bring in a former Massachusetts attorney general to investigate on the community activist group's behalf is now the subject of a lawsuit.

In addition to cleaning its own house, ACORN is seeking damages from individuals involved in making and publicizing the video, according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit seeks damages from James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, who played a pimp and a prostitute seeking tax advice from ACORN in the filmed incident, as well as Andrew Breitbart, a conservative columnist who posted the video on his website, BigGovernment.com.

The suit contends that the fired employees suffered "extreme emotional distress" and says the video was made without the consent of the individuals filmed, in violation of the two-party consent rule imposed by Maryland law, the news agency reports.

Politico provides a copy of the complaint (PDF), which was filed in Circuit Court in Baltimore.

It seeks compensatory and punitive damages for each employee and for ACORN, reports the Washington Post's 44 blog. It also seeks an injunction prohibiting further distribution of the video.

Related coverage:

Associated Press: "How the ACORN 'pimp and hooker' videos came to be"

Baltimore Sun: "Probe of Baltimore ACORN chapter is set"

Boston Globe: "Former AG to oversee review of ACORN"

Los Angeles Times: "Mainstream media and ACORN-like video stings"

Miami Herald (commentary): "A colossal failure to grasp reality"

Washington Post: "ACORN Founder Calls Conservative Attacks 'Complete Fabrication'"

Washington Post: "Census Bureau Drops ACORN as Agency Partner for Counting Effort"

Updated on Sept. 30 to link to subsequent Miami Herald column.