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By Amanda Carpenter

Open the books

Andrew Breitbart, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles probably aren't too upset that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) filed a lawsuit against them. It would make great fodder for more videos exposing ACORN's troubled ways.

ACORN is suing Mr. O'Keefe and Ms. Giles for secretly videotaping its employees giving advice on how to obtain federal funds to run a brothel, and Mr. Breitbart for posting the videos on his Web site.

After hearing news of the lawsuit claiming Maryland wiretapping laws were violated, legal specialists scratched their heads. By filing the lawsuit, ACORN has given the defendants the right to force ACORN to disclose a broad range of information related to the lawsuit through a process called discovery.

Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, a former prosecutor, wrote on her blog Greta Wire that whoever decided ACORN should sue was an "idiot."

"They are going to get hit with interrogations, requests for production of documents, depositions, etc.," she wrote. "And who will get deposed? Just about everybody! And if that discovery produces evidence of a crime? You can be sure that evidence would be fed ex'ed to the Justice Department!"

Mrs. Van Susteren said that if she were advising ACORN, she would have said, "Lie low and just hope the heat passes" and definitely "not file suit."

ACORN's attorneys are seeking $500,000 in damages for two employees shown in the videos, who have since been fired, as well as $1 million for ACORN.

Keep 'em open

A day after ACORN filed its lawsuit, the Treasury Department announced that it would grant a request by Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, and Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, to investigate whether ACORN had illegally used federal funds for political purposes.