I did a google image search for "Teresa Kaelke", and I concur, it's unlikely she was in the sex industry.
SAN BERNARDINO - The conservative Web site Big Government.com has posted a hidden camera video showing an ACORN employee apparently agree to help a "pimp" and "prostitute" set up a brothel employing underage immigrants to help finance a political campaign.
ACORN is a left-leaning community organizing group whose name is an acronym for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
The group has come under fire in recent months amid published accusations of vote fraud and a recent series of videos in which ACORN employees appear to agree to aid in the establishment of brothels as a means to finance political activity.
The brothels are fake, as are the pimp and prostitute. A video posted online shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday on Big Government.com shows a man, who in narration, identifies himself as James O'Keefe.
O'Keefe reports that he disguised himself as a pimp, and his colleague, Hannah Giles is undercover as a prostitute.
In the video, which was taped Aug. 17, O'Keefe and Giles ask an ACORN employee identified by the pair as Tresa Kaelke about the prospects of using prostitution to pay for political activity.
Kaelke, on tape appears to show neither shock nor surprise that O'Keefe seeks to use hookers as a political fundraisers.
She says she has previously run her own escort service and goes on to express a point of view that vice is woven into the fabric of American politics. Kaelke says on the video: "You think every Congressman, every
legislator, do think that even Obama, our new president or any of them, ever, ever actually put down every single resource where they got their money?"
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The woman also claims on the video to have shot a former husband.
At ACORN's office Tuesday, office supervisor Christina Spach told reporters she was not authorized to comment and that an official spokesperson would comment later in the day.
"Just to be clear, ACORN in not in the prostitution business," Spach said.
Spach said she did not wish to be quoted, but did confirm that Kaelke is an ACORN employee. She would not permit reporters to speak to Kaelke and said ACORN employees do not typically make statements to the media, instead relying on their members to articulate the group's positions and activities.
In a subsequent telephone conversation on Tuesday, Spach said Kaelke pretended to cooperate with O'Keefe and Giles because she feared for her safety.
"She was in an office all by herself," Spach said. "She felt unsafe in their company."
Spach, who identified herself as Kaelke's supervisor, said Kaelke lied to the undercover bloggers because she was afraid and wanted to "come across as a strong individual."
"It was a defense mechanism," Spach said.
Spach said Kaelke was not a prostitute or otherwise in the sex industry and did not shoot her husband.
"Her husband is alive and well," Spach said..
ACORN's usual services to individuals include aid to people facing foreclosure, loan services and tax filing help, Spach said.
Jim Miller, a retired San Bernardino resident who is shown in the video, said he is not an ACORN member. However, he said a trio who he now believes was O'Keefe, Giles and another person did ask him about the viability of a San Bernardino brothel.
Miller told reporters that he told the trio that such a venture would be immoral and not likely to succeed. He said he did not notify police about the encounter.
As far as the video itself is concerned, Miller judged the Big Government.com piece to be an unethical example of journalistic entrapment taken against a group he considers to be a legitimate community service organization.
"I was flabbergasted that they would have such a thing in mind," Miller said.
Also in the video, Kaelke claims to have contacts with several Inland Empire politicians. One of those legislators, state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod, has seen the video and was upset by the content.
"What is she (Kaelke) smoking?" McLeod said in reaction to Kaelke's taped behavior.
McLeod, D-Montclair, also confirmed that she met Kaelke on July 10 along with other ACORN employees to talk about helping victims of mortgage fraud.
The senator said she met with out of her obligation to speak to all constituent groups. She recalled that Kaelke took notes but did not speak.
"I asked her specifically why she wasn't saying anything," McLeod said. "She said she was taking notes. That was the only time I had ever seen her."
If she was afraid she could have asked them to leave or called the cops.
doesn’t make sense.
My only question is if Kaelke was in fear for her life and felt that all of this was wrong and unethical did she file a police report with the authorities? I would bet a box of cracker jax that she didnt..:)
Her first response was she was afraid to be alone with them. Um, yeah, because Hannah and James really look intimidating. (roll eyes).
She was in an office all by herself?
Not on the tape. There is clearly another man there, sitting to Hannah’s right. He’s shown several times.
Funny how the fear and the immorality of the proposed venture caused them to say exactly what other ACORN employees have said (except for the shooting of her husband) and she was so scared, she took them outside and referred them to a neighbor.
I did a google image search for "Teresa Kaelke", and I concur, it's unlikely she was in the sex industry.
It doesn't have to be. It has been sponging plenty of funds from the US Government. Now in the future, who knows?