want to hold them accountable '' for what she said was breaking the law . Similar videos were made at other ACORN offices . `` It is illegal , as Linda Tripp will tell you , to record someone in the state of Maryland without their permission . Just because we were embarrassed by these highly edited tapes , which do n't tell the whole story again , and hopefully that will come out , does n't mean that these people did n't break the law in order to embarrass and attack the organization , '' Lewis said . Lewis was referring to the former White House employee who recorded conversations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky about her sexual encounters with President Clinton , which ultimately led to his impeachment . ACORN -- which stands for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- was in the headlines during last year 's presidential campaign after GOP allegations of falsifying voter registration applicants . Some of its voter registration workers were prosecuted , and some other employees resigned . But after the recent release of videos , the political criticism grew . In the videos , some ACORN workers advised
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of ACORN on Tuesday sharply deplored recent videos showing some of the group 's workers advising people how to set up a prostitution business . ACORN leader Bertha Lewis defends her group at the National Press Club on Tuesday in Washington . `` It made my stomach turn , '' Bertha Lewis , chief executive officer of ACORN , told reporters at the National Press Club in Washington . `` It just made you sick . '' ACORN workers who did perform their tasks properly `` did not deserve to have co-workers who did not live up to their standards , '' Lewis said . `` So yes , I terminated those employees . '' At the same time , Lewis defended the community organizing group and punched back at widespread criticism , touting the group 's efforts in helping poor people in the areas of housing and voting . She backed up the group 's legal action in Maryland against the makers of one of the videos . Video , shot with a hidden camera , shows conservative activists posing as a pimp and a prostitute . Lewis said that `` we