Al Sharpton investigated for tax fraud

[JaJae]

Newsday.com
Sharpton blasts feds over finance probe, says it's retaliatory

By PAT MILTON

Associated Press Writer

5:41 PM EST, December 13, 2007

NEW YORK

With a grand jury gearing up to consider possible tax fraud charges against him, the Rev. Al Sharpton accused federal authorities on Thursday of harassing him in retaliation for his fiery brand of racial activism.

"Every major civil rights leader I can think of from Martin Luther King to Adam Clayton Powell has had to face this kind of harassment," Sharpton said at a news conference at the Harlem headquarters of his National Action Network. "I am certainly not in their league, but I certainly expect that will become my lot."

A Brooklyn grand jury is scheduled to begin hearing evidence in an FBI and IRS probe at the end of the month, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed on Thursday.

The person, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly but spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Sharpton, his nonprofit civil rights organization and various businesses he runs face possible tax evasion and campaign finance charges stemming from his 2004 presidential bid.

The Brooklyn U.S. attorney's office declined to comment Thursday.

At the news conference, Sharpton and his lawyer, Michael Hardy, said between eight and 10 Sharpton associates, employees and former employees _ including one man who worked for him 12 years ago _ received subpoenas Wednesday asking them to produce documents related to Sharpton's finances. Sharpton, 53, was not subpoenaed, they added.

Sharpton, who lives in Manhattan, called the timing of the investigation suspicious, coming just weeks after he led a march on the Department of Justice to demand federal intervention in the Jena Six case and better enforcement of hate crimes.

The charges against the six black students accused of attacking a white student in Jena, La., have led to demonstrations around the nation, including one organized by Sharpton in Washington on Nov. 16. Activists have alleged that local authorities in Louisiana were prosecuting blacks more harshly than whites.

Sharpton also suggested that the FBI and IRS probe may be intended to dilute his influence in the 2008 presidential campaign. He said that he was on the verge of taking a more visible role in the campaign and hinted that he may endorse a candidate on a scheduled visit to South Carolina next week.

He criticized the way federal investigators served the subpoenas, apparently delivering them at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. Among those served was Rachel Noerdlinger, his communications director.

"I am a single mother," Noerdlinger said, "and to have my door banged on at 6 in the morning was alarming to my son and me, and it was an apparent scare tactic that will only backfire."

Sharpton agreed in 2005 to repay the government $100,000, plus interest, for taxpayer money he received during his failed effort to win the Democratic presidential nomination the year before, though he denied wrongdoing.

The Federal Election Commission had determined that he spent more of his own money on the campaign than the qualifications for federal matching funds allow.

In 1993, Sharpton pleaded guilty to not filing a state income tax return in 1986.

Sharpton blasts feds over finance probe, says it's retaliatory -- Newsday.com

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The Rev. Al Sharpton accused the FBI of racial motivations Thursday after agents served subpoenas seeking financial records for his New York civil rights group.

He's got every reason and conspiracy theory under the sun as to why he's being investigated including:
1. He's a civil rights activist and obviously the government is racist and trying to hold him down like Martin Luther King.
2. He protested in support for the kids in Jena and obviously the Justice Department would be retaliating against that.
3. He was on the verge of attention whoring himself for the presidential campaigns and the government is simply trying to discredit him.
4. The FBI is racist and their subpoenas seeking financial records are clearly racially motivated.

They haven't released details of the incident. But obviously Sharpton has to present the story to the media and blame it on everything other than the possibility of him evading taxes.

And for those who think he's an attention whore by calling the press conference, clearly he isn't. He called the press conference because of how horribly the FBI handled the incident.

"They're swooping down on aides and friends and associates of mine. But the reason I chose to have this conference is even I would have thought that they would not have handled a matter like this in such a disrespective and insensitive way,” he said.

What did they do that was so disrespectful and insensitive that Al Sharpton needed to call a press conference and inform the world? They knocked on some of their doors at 6 o'clock in the morning. Those bastards. Don't they realize there's children in some of those homes! Men in suits clearly shouldn't be knocking on doors at 6am to drop off papers. Oh the humanity. I feel so sorry for these poor, poor people who were disrespected so horribly by the racist FBI.

[WickedLou9]

good, I hate that idiot.

[Linzyhop]

haha. that's fucking awesome!

[JaJae]

I can't stand Al Sharpton. I'm glad he isn't running for president again. He brings nothing useful to the table. When the other candidates are preaching about universal healthcare he'd start preaching about affirmative action healthcare and then imply anyone who doesn't agree with him is a racist.

[Linzyhop]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I can't stand Al Sharpton. I'm glad he isn't running for president again. He brings nothing useful to the table. When the other candidates are preaching about universal healthcare he'd start preaching about affirmative action healthcare and then imply anyone who doesn't agree with him is a racist.

Al Sharpton is the biggest mainstream racist out there! instead of being racist against black people, he's racist against white people!

and get a haircut too. we don't want to see some greasy 70's jerry curl and be expected to respect you.

[7960]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Sharpton blasts feds over finance probe, says it's retaliatory -- Newsday.com



He's got every reason and conspiracy theory under the sun as to why he's being investigated including:
1. He's a civil rights activist and obviously the government is racist and trying to hold him down like Martin Luther King.
2. He protested in support for the kids in Jena and obviously the Justice Department would be retaliating against that.
3. He was on the verge of attention whoring himself for the presidential campaigns and the government is simply trying to discredit him.
4. The FBI is racist and their subpoenas seeking financial records are clearly racially motivated.

They haven't released details of the incident. But obviously Sharpton has to present the story to the media and blame it on everything other than the possibility of him evading taxes.

And for those who think he's an attention whore by calling the press conference, clearly he isn't. He called the press conference because of how horribly the FBI handled the incident.

What did they do that was so disrespectful and insensitive that Al Sharpton needed to call a press conference and inform the world? They knocked on some of their doors at 6 o'clock in the morning. Those bastards. Don't they realize there's children in some of those homes! Men in suits clearly shouldn't be knocking on doors at 6am to drop off papers. Oh the humanity. I feel so sorry for these poor, poor people who were disrespected so horribly by the racist FBI.

every argument of his comes down to "I'm being __________ because I'm black."

Fuck him...... he didn't give a shit (no pun intended) about the cops he persecuted in the Tawana case. I wonder how he likes it? Oh wait, there's a difference between him and them... in the Tawana case those people were falsely accused.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by 7960

every argument of his comes down to "I'm being __________ because I'm black."

Fuck him...... he didn't give a shit (no pun intended) about the cops he persecuted in the Tawana case. I wonder how he likes it? Oh wait, there's a difference between him and them... in the Tawana case those people were falsely accused.

Not only the cops, but didn't he also accuse the prosecutor calling him a racist rapist or something to that effect?

[7960]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Not only the cops, but didn't he also accuse the prosecutor calling him a racist rapist or something to that effect?

Yes. For some reason they accused him of being involved in the "rape" even though there was never any evidence he was "involved".... and even though there never was a rape.

CNN - Winner in Brawley suit says victory is bittersweet - July 13, 1998

As you can see, he lost but he refused to pay. So Johnnie Cochran "and other Sharpton benefactors" paid for him.

A troubling story about Al Sharpton. - By William Saletan, Ben Jacobs, and Avi Zenilman - Slate Magazine


He's a total asshole scum douche bag. He needs "race issues" to define himself. When there are none he manufacturers one so he can keep in the spotlight. He is the worst kind of racist..........not only does he encourage racism, he profits from it.

[RMNIXON]

Videotape shows Sharpton cutting a deal

By John Shiffman
Inquirer Staff Writer

With a hidden FBI camera rolling inside a New York hotel suite in 2003, an unsuspecting Rev. Al Sharpton, Democratic candidate for president, spoke candidly.

Sharpton offered to help Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White win a multimillion-dollar business deal, if White helped him raise $50,000 for politics. White offered $25,000. "If you bring my guys up on this hedge fund, and I have the right conversation," White said, "I'll give you what you need." "Cool," Sharpton said.

The Inquirer obtained an account of the May 9, 2003, conversation, which was recorded as part of the Philadelphia City Hall corruption case. The tape helped spark a separate inquiry into Sharpton's 2004 campaign and his civil-rights organization, the National Action Network. The FBI-IRS probe resurfaced publicly Wednesday, when Sharpton aides received subpoenas.

In an interview yesterday, Sharpton said there is "absolutely nothing illegal" about tying business deals to fund-raising because he is not a public official.
"The tapes vindicate me," Sharpton said. "They show that I did not talk about bribing a public official or paying money under the table."

The video was recorded by an FBI camera hidden in a lamp inside Suite 34A at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan. Sharpton and White were introduced by La-Van Hawkins, a Detroit businessman.

At the time, FBI agents were investigating White and Hawkins, suspecting that they were involved in pay-to-play in Philadelphia - raising campaign funds for Mayor Street and others in order to win municipal contracts for favored donors. Later FBI agents in the case infamously placed a bug in Street's office, but it was discovered before it recorded anything.

FBI agents tapping White's phones in 2003 recorded more than 20 conversations between White and Sharpton, most of them related to fund-raising for the presidential campaign and an effort to secure a $40 million pension-fund deal in New York.

About a year later, White, Hawkins and a dozen others, including former City Treasurer Corey Kemp, were indicted in Philadelphia on federal pay-to-play corruption charges.

White died before trial. Hawkins was convicted of fraud and perjury and sentenced to 33 months. Kemp is serving a 10-year sentence for corruption, bribery and fraud.

No charges were brought related to Sharpton or the proposed New York pension-fund deal, which never materialized.

However, as The Inquirer reported in 2005, the New York-based investigation of Sharpton has continued. Sources said agents in that case are examining whether Sharpton violated campaign-finance laws or used money donated to his National Action Network for personal use.

FBI spokesman James Margolin in New York declined to comment yesterday.
When Sharpton and White teamed up in 2003, each had a need and a talent. Sharpton had access to business and government officials, and needed help fund-raising for his fledgling national campaign. White had access to campaign donors and was always looking for connections into business and government deals.

To qualify for matching federal funds in the presidential campaign, Sharpton needed to raise $5,000 in each of 20 states. According to a spreadsheet created by White's office staff, White and Hawkins raised contributions for Sharpton in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and Pennsylvania. White solicited funds from donors in Texas, New Jersey, Alabama and
Maryland, and made plans to raise money in a half dozen other states.
Some contributors, however, were reluctant to help White contribute to Sharpton because they didn't want their names attached to the controversial preacher in public records. One businessman in Philadelphia is heard on one wiretap expressing such concern. White convinced him to move the money through White's political action committee instead.

On a few calls, Hawkins expressed his concern about Sharpton's shortcomings as a candidate. He was sloppy with campaign finances, Hawkins said, worrying that some campaign funds might get mixed with personal or National Action Network funds.

"He's a train wreck - a plane crash waiting to happen," Hawkins told White. During the 2003 hotel meeting, Sharpton also discussed the wisdom of raising funds for voter-registration outreach because, unlike candidate contributions, there are no fund-raising or spending limits on them.

In May 2004, the FEC ruled that the Sharpton campaign had to repay $100,000 in matching funds because he spent more than twice as much as allowed of his own money on his campaign.

In the interview yesterday, Sharpton said that he has heard some of the wiretaps and they are not incriminating. He said his campaign finance reports show that he has done nothing wrong.

"It's not illegal for me to help guys get contracts . . . making introductions for Mr. White and Mr. Hawkins, if they help me raise money," Sharpton said. "I'm not a public official."

"You can make tapes sound like whatever you want," he said, "but the timing of this is ridiculous."

Sharpton was referring to his recent protests and commentary about the racial controversy in Jena, La., involving six black teenagers accused of beating a white classmate.

"This is government harassment," he said. "I knew this investigation would come back when we started the Jena protests."

Of the investigation, Sharpton predicted, "It went nowhere three years ago and it's going nowhere now."

Videotape shows Sharpton cutting a deal | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/15/2007

__________________________________________________ _______

They were not even after Sharpton. They were bugging White and Hawkins and he showed up making deals!

[SoFlaJDM]

i can't stand him much either, but i hope he gets a fair hearing.

[JaJae]

In the interview yesterday, Sharpton said that he has heard some of the wiretaps and they are not incriminating. He said his campaign finance reports show that he has done nothing wrong.

That sounds like an admission of guilt at other times. He had to hear which wiretaps they had to know they weren't incriminating? If he hadn't done anything illegal in regards to his taxes/campiagn finances he'd know it without hearing the damn tapes.

[6SpeedTA95]

Sorry but its funny that all the democrats on the board can't stand this guy and I kinda liked him until this fiasco...but my respect meter is dropping off the charts now

[7960]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

Inquirer Staff Writer

The Inquirer....

...The Inquirer

Careful.......I got shit on when I used the enquirer as a source

[7960]

Originally Posted by JaJae

That sounds like an admission of guilt at other times. He had to hear which wiretaps they had to know they weren't incriminating? If he hadn't done anything illegal in regards to his taxes/campiagn finances he'd know it without hearing the damn tapes.

You're talking about someone who ALREADY had to pay back $100,000 in federal matching funds.

This is not a moral man. This is not a man who cares about the law.

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by 7960

Careful.......I got shit on when I used the enquirer as a source

I had a moment of caution myself until I noticed I was looking at the Philadelphia Inquirer!

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Sorry but its funny that all the democrats on the board can't stand this guy and I kinda liked him until this fiasco...but my respect meter is dropping off the charts now

What was there to respect or like?

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

What was there to respect or like?

Well he's admitted to his past mistakes and at least up until his rampant excuses on this mess he's usually stepped up to the plate when he's been wrong. He's been interviewed on Fox and CNN a lot and he came across as a respectable individual even if I disagreed with his politics. Admittedly I dont follow him much outside of the interviews I see, but thats the general impression I got. But not after this mess.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Well he's admitted to his past mistakes and at least up until his rampant excuses on this mess he's usually stepped up to the plate when he's been wrong. He's been interviewed on Fox and CNN a lot and he came across as a respectable individual even if I disagreed with his politics. Admittedly I dont follow him much outside of the interviews I see, but thats the general impression I got. But not after this mess.

I don't think he apologized for tawana brawley or the Duke case. When has he apologized for being wrong?