Yep, Al's in hot water...again. This time over his financial dealings and the relationship between his 2004 campaign committee and his non-profit group, the National Action Netwwork. From the NY Daily News [4]:
Teams of federal agents swooped down on up to 10 close associates of the Rev. Al Sharpton Wednesday, demanding the flamboyant clergyman's financial records since 2001.
Sharpton's former chief of staff said he was roused at his Harlem home about 6:30 a.m. by two
FBI agents who handed him a subpoena to bring the records to a federal grand jury the day after Christmas.
Several employees of Sharpton's National Action Network also got wakeup subpoenas to testify before the Brooklyn panel, the rabble-rousing reverend's lawyer said.
The FBI and IRS are investigating whether Sharpton improperly misstated the amount of money he raised during his 2004 White House run to illegally obtain federal matching funds, a source familiar with the probe said.
The feds are also looking into allegations of tax fraud, including whether Sharpton commingled funds from his nonprofit National Action Network with several of his for-profit ventures, the source said.
Here's the best quote of the whole story:
Lawyer Michael Hardy shrugged off the probe, which sought a vast array of business, political and personal records, as a federal fishing expedition.
"I can't think of a time when the Rev. Sharpton wasn't under investigation," he said
Beautiful. And so true.
I'm sure he'll be playing the "racism" card as this plays out. Which makes one wonder how much support he'll get from his fellow travelers/competitors, such as Jesse Jackson. In fact, I'd almost lay odds that Jesse's helped this thing along in come capacity. Should be entertaining.
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More: Michelle Malkin [5] - Newmark [6]
