While he appears to have avoided criminal charges despite some highly suspicious taped demands for money, Al Sharpton is not out of the woods yet with the federal government. The government estimates that his campaign owes half a million dollars for for illegal donations and other financial improprieties. This includes matching funds that he received for his presidential run, which the government wants back after discovering that he violated federal laws.
The auditors have now determined that Sharpton owes $486,803 to the U.S. Treasury. His organization insists that some of this money is merely “love offerings” that he collected after speaking to churches.
He put some costs on his own American Express (which were reimbursed), some costs were were paid by the National Action Network, and some by a different company called Rev-Als Production Inc.
The federal audit states: “Virtually no effort appears to have been made by Sharpton 2004, the candidate, NAN, or Rev-Als. Production Inc. to keep any sort of detailed records demonstrating what payments paid for which travel. Auditors further found that there was a “nearly complete failure to produce any information on this subject in the course of the audit.”
Sharpton has previously faced charges of unpaid federal taxes.
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Mike,
Those are the bad decisions.
Gyges,
I agree that the Reverend is very smart. He is brilliant in debate, can think quickly extemporaneously and has a ready wit. I just think he is self-serving and possibly corrupt. It also angers me that he continues to be trotted out by the MSM to derail any protests against racist situations and he does it despite being well aware that he is being used as a “cat’s paw” to disarm Black interests. That he allows himself to be “played in this game” so harmful to his community, says little for his true commitment to social justice.
Mike and Sally,
I generally think the Reverend’s a highly intelligent man who makes some really bad decisions. One of my favorite discussions is a debate between him and Christopher Hitchens shortly after Hitchens published “God Isn’t So Great.” I thought Sharpton gave a very elegant and strong defense of religion in general.
Sally,
I agree with you. I’ve felt for years that Sharpton was a self-serving con man, who was given press coverage as a way of disparaging the Afro-American Community. He would always be called on to speak as an Afro-American Leader whenever an issue of race became a sensation. He was guaranteed in his comments to exacerbate the situation, without any clear leadership on how to correct it. Meanwhile, true Afro-American leadership and their comments were ignored, leaving a purposely kept ignorant public to assume that Sharpton’s mewling represented Black thought. As someone who has spent years interacting with African-American people and friends, I have often been angered and dismayed with the false stereotypes of them in the media. As with all ethnicities and minorities they are not homogeneous in thought or deed. They are a rich culture with an intellectual quality and literature that is the equal of any other. In fact that’s the point, they are human beings just like you and me.
I really can’t stand Al Sharpton. I had no idea he wanted to run for president. Looks like all his sneaky ways of handeling his funds really got the word out positively!
He’d be a joke for president.
I think he’s getting off easy