Al Sharpton still raking it in and lining his pockets

Photo by Donald Traill/Invision/AP

Today’s story is actually a follow-up to a cozy/corrupt news item that we covered way back in December of 2018. At that time, Reverend Al Sharpton announced that he was “retiring” from his racially divisive organization, the National Action Network. But as with nearly everything else NAN had been involved with, there was an obvious scam being run because Sharpton charged the network more than half a million dollars to purchase the rights to his life story. At the time, we speculated that Sharpton, along with his family, would continue to be involved with NAN and milking that cash cow for all it’s worth. And according to a new report this week from the New York Post, that’s exactly what he’s been doing. Despite supposedly being retired, Sharpton is being “compensated” by NAN as its president and CEO at more than double the rate he received before his alleged retirement. He accepted a salary of nearly 350 thousand dollars last year plus bonuses and benefits bringing the total to more than 600 thousand. And NAN also forked over another 300 thousand for private jets and accommodations so he could attend “important gatherings” around the world.

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Rev. Al Sharpton’s charity nearly doubled his compensation and also shelled out close to $300,000 for private jets so that he and other bigwigs could attend “important gatherings.”

The National Action Network paid Sharpton $348,174 in 2021 as its president and CEO and gave him a hefty bonus of $278,503 — plus $22,117 worth of benefits for total compensation of $648,794, its latest tax filing shows.

The preacher’s 2020 compensation came to $347,183, which did not include a bonus.

NAN also forked over nearly $1 million on private jets and limos.

Sharpton has always had one sort of scam or another running through NAN. Back in its heyday, it was widely known, particularly in and around New York City, that NAN would approach local businesses looking for hefty donations. Anyone who didn’t want to give up the cash would be informed that Sharpton would soon go public and accused the business of being racist and spur protests and walkouts by employees. Most of them wound up just paying NAN what was effectively hush money.

Sharpton is also infamous for not paying his taxes, despite raking in massive amounts of money. Not only NAN but virtually every other business or association that Sharpton has ever been involved in has been in trouble with the IRS at one time or another. And he unfailingly seems to have an excuse when anyone points out his tax-delinquent status, generally involving the blatant racism of anyone asking the question. And then there was the time that two mysterious fires at his properties tragically destroyed all of his tax records.

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And what has the public gotten in return after all of Sharpton’s labors over all these years? It’s been one long series of ginned-up hoaxes (going all the way back to the Tawana Brawley scam, in which Sharpton was directly involved) and publicity events. All of his activity has served to increase racial divisions in society rather than eliminate them. And why would Al Sharpton be interested in seeing less racism? That’s how he butters his bread.

This news about his ongoing windfalls of cash put the lie to his supposed retirement story from nearly five years ago. It’s the same old Sharpton running the same old snake oil dispensary. I suppose some things never change.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 22, 2024
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