Sharpton Allegedly Took $500k in Illegal Contributions

Photo Courtesy AP/Louis Lanzano

After an audit by the Federal Election Commission, Al Sharpton is being forced to pay back almost $500,000 for what they have deemed illegal campaign contributions during his 2004 run for president. The FEC is nailing Sharpton for not delineating between donations for his campaign and money coming in for his National Action Network. The report says that "virtually no effort was made" to show which funds were for which.

Among the charges in question include a 2004 birthday party in which the NAN and Sharpton 2004 campaign split the bill. The Post also points out that the Sharpton "lived lavishly in top hotels" while making charges on his American Express that fell under the umbrella of his campaign. The preacher-turned-politician was already forced to return $100,000 in federal matching funds following an investigation in 2005.

Sharpton has already issued a statementstating that he is going to appeal the FEC's decision, saying, "If I was a senator or a congressman, and I operated between Washington and my home district and went on foreign trips, they would say, 'You're doing your job.' But ... if I travel for the National Action Network ... they're charging that to the campaign. Why is it a different rule for me?"

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By Billy Parker in News on November 15, 2008 3:25 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

I wonder if he still gets his hair done at the Prima Donna Salon?

HUGO_MEGO

Why is everyone attacking Sharpton in the age of Obama??? Is it because Al isn't a House N....???

g0thamg1rl

Oh wow, let me put my surprised look on :-0 Riiiiiiiight!!!

Toby Von is right... it still won't make him go away. Too bad!

RedWhiteandBrooklyn

Are they going to seize that money & give it to pay off Sharpton's debt to Steven Pagones, the ADA he accused of kidnapping & raping Tawana Brawley?

Just wondering.

badtzmaru

it's just a civil infraction that politicians of both parties are hit with every year. some ny media (and by extension gothamist) are making a big deal only because its sharpton.