AL SHARPTON Photo: Getty Images
Posted on 04/12/2005 3:24:32 AM PDT by Liz
AL SHARPTON Photo: Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The FBI, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the Rev. Al Sharpton, secretly videotaped him pocketing campaign donations from two shady fund-raisers in a New York City hotel room and then asking for more, it was reported yesterday.
One of the donors was later recorded on a wiretap saying Sharpton may not have reported to the Federal Election Commission tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash, as is required by the law, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The FBI launched the probe into Sharpton's fund-raising for his failed 2004 presidential run after his name surfaced on wiretaps in an unrelated Philadelphia City Hall corruption case, the Inquirer said.
The Post confirmed the FBI investigation of Sharpton. The two dubious donors whom Sharpton met with in the hotel on May 9, 2003 — Democratic fund-raisers La-Van Hawkins and the late Ronald White — suggested that nearly $90,000 was missing from the official campaign report Sharpton filed with the FEC.
Hawkins is currently on trial in Philadelphia on corruption charges unrelated to the Sharpton case; White also was going to be indicted, but he died before charges could be brought.
An FBI wiretap picked up Hawkins telling White he believed they had raised more than $140,000 for Sharpton in the previous quarter — but Hawkins fretted because Sharpton had reported only about $50,000 on his federal election filing.
"He's a train wreck — a plane crash waiting to happen," Hawkins told White about Sharpton, according to the paper.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
(Sob) Al's just a victim (bawl).
Say it aint so Al.
< /New York Times >
< slap >
It's going to be an interesting summer, IMO.
Sniffle---I'm all broke up about it (sob).
Yeah, Rove, again (poster climbs back onto turnip truck).
How does this guy loose 90 grand ?
I dunno----ask his mistress---the one shopping at Tiffany's and Bergdorf's.
ROTFLOL.........good one. Now that's funny.
"Ah'll show dat suckah Clintun who de first Black presidunt be."
Al must have gone to the Sandy Berger School. I bet he wished he would of put the money in his socks.
FEC records show Sharpton reported raising about $54,000 during the period, the second quarter of 2003.
Sharpton has denied any wrongdoing.
In the hotel room, the FBI had videotape secretly rolling as White forked over a wad of campaign checks to Sharpton. Sharpton demanded $25,000 more, and White promised he'd try to raise it.
Wiretaps show that White and Hawkins supported Sharpton because they believed the candidate could grease the skids in future business deals — primarily a $40 million deal related to New York City's pension fund.
The feds learned Hawkins, a Detroit fast-food king, sought to create a fried-chicken empire financed with millions of dollars invested from the Big Apple pension fund.
White and Hawkins wooed Sharpton with the campaign checks to set up a meeting with Comptroller William Thompson, who controls the pension funds — though nothing ever came of it. Thompson is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Fearing that Sharpton and the donors were hatching a plan to defraud the pension fund, the FBI got clearance for the videotape from a judge.
That angle proved to be unfounded — but the FBI surveillance uncovered the possible campaign fund-raising fraud. The precise focus of the FBI probe could not be learned.
Sharpton told the Philadelphia paper the allegations were a "politically motivated smokescreen" to hide the fact the Justice Department is out to get him.
Sharpton ripped the federal probe and the secret videotaping of the hotel meeting, saying, "Can you imagine what would happen if it was a white presidential candidate?"
Damn, why didn't Al take a cue from Pantload Berger?
How stupid of Al to stuff the $90K into a KFC extra-crispy fried chicken bucket.
When i saw this i laughted because i knew it was so true even if it is a joke..Just imagaine Al Sharpton with Tawana Brawley as first lady..
And i loved the one you wrote.LMBO!
"Ah'll show dat suckah Clintun who de first Black presidunt be."
Maybe Al IS the victim of discrimination. Why doesn't the FBI have video of Hillery's shady campaign deals out in CA that landed her fund-raiser in jail, or videos of her shaking down the Orthodox Jews in her NY senatorial campaign? Inquiring minds want to know...
He is Rev-Run Al, not CPA Al. Accounting isn't his strong point.
Whitey setting up another black man just like they did Marion Barry! Rove's behind it!
Not to worry, there will be a mysterious fire, all the records will be burned up and the investigation will be over.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.