BLITZER: Well, let's find out right now.

Bertha Lewis is here, the CEO of ACORN.

Miss. Lewis, thanks very much for coming in.

BERTHA LEWIS, CEO, ACORN: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: What about that top to bottom review you promised Drew?

It -- it looks like there's still some problems there -- very serious problems.

LEWIS: Well, Drew is absolutely right. I took over last year as the CEO and totally revamping the management structure, our financial control. And he's right. We have been implementing this now and we've been a full year into it, getting down into the weeds on this, absolutely.

You'll -- as Drew can tell you, when we saw these videos -- reprehensible, indefensible.

BLITZER: How could that happen?

LEWIS: Well, I think...

BLITZER: I mean these are ACORN employees.

LEWIS: I think what -- what the full story is -- and, hopefully, you guys will get the unedited tapes. You will see that this sort of notorious crew went around to dozens of our offices. What you don't see is the offices that threw them out, offices that filed complete -- police complaints...

BLITZER: But there are some rotten...

LEWIS: ...and so what you had...

BLITZER: ...rotten apples out there.

LEWIS: I have over 700 employees. And I would be the first to say, under my watch, this is unacceptable, these are not our standards and our practices. And let me make -- add, because of our quality control, not one application, not one document, not one shred of paper was ever filed or put in for these people. As soon as we found out in our board they were terminated and I began to institute a review of this, because we were concerned about putting other things together.

But you know what?

I have to thank -- I have to thank the undercover folks, because they sort of did us a good service. This is what we are all -- also adding to our -- our overhaul.

BLITZER: Do you believe that some of those videotapes were doctored or edited?

LEWIS: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

BLITZER: Because I'm going to play a little clip for you.

LEWIS: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Show me where this could have been doctored.

LEWIS: Well...

BLITZER: But let's watch it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your business is as a performing artist?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A performing artist?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you are.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, so you're not lying. It's a little play on words.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's kind of boosting my ego.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) a performing artist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK?

So stop saying busted (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, that was in the Baltimore office of...

LEWIS: Right.

BLITZER: ...of ACORN.

What -- where -- where was that doctored or edited, if you will?

LEWIS: Well, first of all, you didn't see the entire unedited version. You saw a very small clip. Also, you see...

BLITZER: But was that little unedited clip accurate?

LEWIS: And that little -- that little piece that we saw, this was...

BLITZER: Did that woman cooperate with this sting operation?

LEWIS: That -- well, first of all, she never filed out anything. But that woman was terminated immediately. This is just not with our values. And whether or not they were duped or stupid doesn't matter. That kind of thing cannot go on. This is why people were terminated quite quickly. And this is why we are instituting...

BLITZER: So...

LEWIS: ...a top to bottom review. BLITZER: So you say they actually did you a favor, these -- these filmmakers -- by going out there and finding these bad apples. But you want...

LEWIS: (INAUDIBLE).

BLITZER: In the past, your people have suggested you want to sue these guys.

LEWIS: Well, here's the thing. In certain states, you can only tape people with their permission. You have to have both parties.

BLITZER: On telephone calls.

LEWIS: And telephone calls, too.

BLITZER: On telephone calls.

But could you...

LEWIS: But not in video. And...

BLITZER: You can't go in?

LEWIS: And in Maryland, you can't do this audio at all. So our lawyers are looking to go after Mr. O'Keefe, who has done this before and admits he is a right-wing conservative videographer who does things like this.

And, you know, we are going to make sure that all of the tapes get out and have -- and seek to stop this kind of thing.

BLITZER: Are you open to an external review right now, because there's talk not only of federal, but state and local authorities -- they want to investigate ACORN and find what else is going on given all this commotion.

LEWIS: Well, ever since last year these kinds of things have come up, you know...

BLITZER: But now the FBI director says he's -- Robert Mueller, he's open -- he -- he's thinking about an investigation.

LEWIS: Well, maybe he is, maybe he isn't. But here's...

BLITZER: Mayor Bloomberg of New York says this Brooklyn operation...

LEWIS: And we will -- well...

BLITZER: ...he wants -- he wants an investigation.

LEWIS: And here's what we think. If they investigate this incident, I think it would be good. Again, when you tell the truth, tell the whole truth. Show everything. Show the tapes where people were thrown out. Show the tapes where this doesn't work. And also show the tapes where, at the end of this conversation, people were -- said we really can't assist you.

BLITZER: The Senate has now voted this week 83-7 to suspend all federal funding for ACORN. And it's going to go to the House. And I assume it's going to be a lopsided vote there. You're going to be cut off from federal money. That's going to hurt ACORN.

LEWIS: Well, let me just say this. It's going to hurt the people that we were giving services to...

BLITZER: How much do you get...

LEWIS: Here's...

BLITZER: ...from the federal government?

LEWIS: Here's what we do. We've been...

BLITZER: How much do you get a year?

LEWIS: On average, probably around $2 million across the entire organization...

BLITZER: So if you get zero from the federal government...

LEWIS: It's not going to stop our core work of fighting foreclosures, for affordable health care, making sure that people get paid sick days, making sure that our neighborhoods are safe -- the core work that we have been doing for 40 years.

Now, would we like for this not to happen?

Of course. But given our budget and given our core work, we're going to continue.

LEWIS: The Census Bureau says they don't want to cooperate with you anymore, looking ahead to the 2010 census. A lot of us remember the controversy over the voter registration -- you know, people signing up as Mickey Mouse or King Kong, all of that. It was pretty outrageous last year...

LEWIS: Well, with all due respect...

BLITZER: ...some of that voter registration.

LEWIS: Well, some of that voter registration was outrageous.

But guess what?

The same thing happened then that just happened now. When some employee of ours does something outrageous, they are terminated. The same instance for voter registration. Right now in Florida, all 11 of those folks, we turned them in, as we did across the country. And in time and time again, we've been vindicated.

BLITZER: What's the next shoe...

LEWIS: Let me just...

BLITZER: What's the next shoe that's going to drop...

LEWIS: Well...

BLITZER: ...as far as ACORN?

I mean, you're the boss, right?

The bucks stops with...

LEWIS: I absolutely am.

BLITZER: The buck stops with you.

LEWIS: Right here.

BLITZER: And you've been there for, what, a year?

LEWIS: I've been the CEO for almost a year.

BLITZER: All right. So you've got to clean up this ACORN house...

LEWIS: That's right.

BLITZER: And you've got a major responsibility...

LEWIS: And I'm doing it. That's right.

BLITZER: There's a lot of problems out there.

LEWIS: Well, here you go. Any corporation that has 700 employees are -- are bound to have some problems. However, we are committed to re-establishing the public trust. As we've said before, we will do whatever is necessary, just as we've implemented other changes. We're not done yet.

But it is rather peculiar that, with all of the allegations that have made -- been made against us, someone would have to fabricate a scenario like this.

But you know something, Wolf, this is not going to stop our core work. We are still going to organize low and moderate income folks despite what our critics say.

BLITZER: Since taking office...

LEWIS: Yes?

BLITZER: ...as the CEO of ACORN, how many people have you fired?

LEWIS: Well, given this past round...

BLITZER: With the...

LEWIS: ...(INAUDIBLE) got fired...

BLITZER: In terms of voter fraud...

LEWIS: Probably...

BLITZER: And in terms of the videotapes right now?

LEWIS: Well, with all of the voter folks, we had 18,000 workers. Maybe about 100 of those were let go, which we (INAUDIBLE)...

BLITZER: Those were part-time workers who went out and did (INAUDIBLE)?

LEWIS: So those folks...

BLITZER: Of the...

LEWIS: ...and maybe about 20 other people.

BLITZER: Of the 700 full-time employees?

LEWIS: About 20 other people since I took over.

BLITZER: And they've been fired because of?

LEWIS: Either incompetence, they weren't doing their job. You know, I didn't feel as though they would be able to come into the new ACORN and do things in a professional manner. They did not meet our standards.

BLITZER: Because even the White House today -- Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, he described ACORN's activities on these tapes as completely unacceptable.

LEWIS: And we agree. And that's why they were terminated. And anyone else that we find to do such a thing...

BLITZER: If the house...

LEWIS: ...done.

BLITZER: ...isn't cleaned, at what point do you decide you know what, I have to resign?

LEWIS: No. Here's the thing. I've been with ACORN almost 20 some years. I am always going to make sure that we serve low and moderate income people of color. I will clean this house. It is being done now. And I -- and here's what I would like. I'll come back in three months and you can look at what we've done.

BLITZER: And you -- and you think in the next three months, we're not going to see more of this controversy?

LEWIS: I hope we don't see any other undercover tapes. I don't know any corporation that can...

BLITZER: And if...

LEWIS: ...guard against any...

BLITZER: And if we do see more of this?

LEWIS: Then bring it to light and you will see what action we take.

BLITZER: But the buck will stop with you (INAUDIBLE)?

LEWIS: The buck always stops here.

BLITZER: You've got a major mission out there.

LEWIS: I really do. Yes, I do. But we're not going to stop organizing.

BLITZER: All right. Bertha Lewis.

We're going to watch ACORN and see what you do, because...

LEWIS: Yes.

BLITZER: ...I think the whole country is watching right now.

LEWIS: And that's a good thing. And we want the country to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

BLITZER: Bertha Lewis is the CEO of ACORN.

Thanks for coming in.

LEWIS: Thank you.