Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, says he may hold hearings on accusations made by a former employee of ACORN that the organization had broken the law in a number of ways. The Washington Times reports:

Mr. Conyers, Michigan Democrat and fierce partisan, suggested a congressional probe after scathing testimony about the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) during a hearing on various voting issues related to the 2008 presidential election.

Mr. Conyers called the accusations “a pretty serious matter.”

“I think that it would be something that would be worth our time,” he said during Thursday’s hearing. “We’ve never had one person representing ACORN before the committee. … I think in all fairness we ought to really examine it.”

The testimony by Pittsburgh lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh accused the nonprofit group of violating tax, campaign-finance and other laws by, among other things, sharing with the Barack Obama campaign a list of the Democrat’s maxed-out campaign donors so ACORN could use it to solicit them for a get-out-the-vote drive.

She also testified that the Democrat-allied group provided liberal causes with protest-for-hire services and coerced donations from targets of demonstrations through a shakedown it called the “muscle for the money” program.

Heidelbaugh is on the executive committee of the Republican National Lawyers Association and her accusations were based solely on the testimony of a former ACORN employee named Anita MonCrief. According to this report, Ms. MonCrief was fired by the organization for “charging about $2,000 in personal expenses on an ACORN credit card.” ACORN says she is just a disgruntled employee and a liar.

Either way, I think hearings would be a good idea. With Conyers in charge, it is unlikely that it would become a witch hunt. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, that evidence should see the light of day. And if there is not, then that should be exposed in public as well. ACORN should welcome such an investigation as a way to clear their name. Let the truth come out.