CROWN POINT | An ACORN official defended his staff Wednesday against GOP allegations of voter registration fraud centering around an application filled out in the name of a dead Hammond woman.

Jeff Ordower, Midwest director of the group, stated Wednesday, "ACORN did all it could to prevent this unfortunate situation from happening. The Republican Party has politicized a tragic situation."

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a political grassroots action group registering urban poor and minority residents to vote, has been targeted by Lake County GOP Chairman John Curley for submitting thousands of suspicious voter registration applications in the names of dead, underage or fictitious people.

An ACORN canvasser allegedly filled out an application in the name of Lana Cole, formerly of Hammond. Cole died in 2004.

The elections board staff said they didn't recognize the bogus application because it contained a phony date of birth.

Ordower said ACORN's quality control staff spotted the Cole application along with dozens of others with disconnected telephone numbers and signatures in apparently identical handwriting and told county officials of their suspicions, but county officials failed to heed ACORN's warning. He said state law required his group to turn in the suspicious applications.

County elections board Director Sally LaSota couldn't be reached Wednesday for comment. Curley said he doubts the county staff would have ignored ACORN's advice.