NEW YORK, NY September 17, 2009 —Acorn Chief Executive Bertha Lewis says the organization will continue providing help to those in need despite government officials considering freezing or eliminating the groups funds. Lewis says ACORN has gone with out public funding before and losing that money again would not cripple them.

LEWIS: It will hurt the organization, but more importantly it's gonna hurt tens of thousands of poor people that may not be able to get our services.

Lewis says ACORN will undergo a massive operational overhaul to eliminate anymore workplace misbehavior. Earlier this week, two conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute videotaped ACORN workers giving them tax advice in Baltimore.

The New York City Council is currently reviewing more than $200,000 in contracts with ACORN.

Earlier this week the U.S. Senate, followed quickly by the House, passed a ban on giving housing and transportation dollars to ACORN, which has long been under fire from Republicans.