Feds Drop Criminal Probe Of Al Sharpton

Controversial New York Reverend Has Agreed To Pay Millions In Back Taxes And Penalties

(AP)  Federal prosecutors have disbanded their criminal investigation into the financial dealings of the Rev. Al Sharpton and his Harlem civil rights group, the minister and his lawyers said Tuesday.

Prosecutors concluded that Sharpton's substantial tax problems were better handled as a civil matter by the Internal Revenue Service rather than in criminal court, his lawyers said.

The IRS and New York state and city tax agencies claim that Sharpton owes well more than $1 million in back taxes and penalties. His organization, the National Action Network, also faces a hefty tax bill.

Sharpton said that both he and the civil rights group would pay off their debts, clean up their books and complete a reorganization intended to ensure the group's long-term fiscal stability.

"We learn from every experience to be more cautious, more accountable," he told The Associated Press.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn declined to comment.

The investigation was the latest in a string of government inquiries into Sharpton's finances, dating to his earliest days as a civil rights figure.

Each time, he has emerged unscathed. In the late 1980s he was acquitted of stealing from a nonprofit group. A state case accusing him of evading income taxes also fizzled; he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to file a tax return and paid a small fine.

This latest investigation became public last year when several of Sharpton's aides received grand jury subpoenas. Law enforcement officials said the inquiry focused on potential tax violations and possible election law violations during Sharpton's 2004 run for president.

According to public tax filings and disclosure forms during his presidential campaign, he received little or no salary in recent years from the National Action Network. He earns several hundred thousand dollars a year in personal income from his nationally syndicated radio show, book royalties and speaking fees.

Sharpton said Tuesday he was glad to be in the clear. "I'm just grateful to God and my family, and all of our supporters," he said.

Sharpton's civil rights group had failed for several years in a row to file income tax returns, obtain workers compensation insurance, or disclose how much it was collecting in donations or paying its top employees, as required by law.

His lawyers said many of those problems have now been resolved, and both Sharpton and his group have also begun paying down their tax debts.

The end of the criminal probe was first reported Tuesday by the New York Daily News.

Michael Hardy, Sharpton's attorney, said he hoped the resolution of the criminal investigation would silence suggestions that the minister was profiting personally from the dealings of his nonprofit group.

"I think this really clears the air for everyone," Hardy said.

[jimbosouth]

What a laugh. This clown apparently owes over i mill$ in back taxes and, penalties and interest, doesn''t even bother to file tax returns, essentially spits in the face of the folks he slandered in the Tawana Brawley affair, ad nauseum. WSuggest john Doe try even half of that garbage and see how deeply under the jail he winds up.Believeit--extortion does pay!!

[aggiekat2004]

tbweb...I''ve been around the forum for awhile!

They''ve always been annoying to me. And as a programmer, I wonder why they can''t fix this problem. After all, we''re not talking about Jimbo Bubba''s Backyard BBQ website...we''re talking about CBS News!!

[slaphappy86]

These guys are idiots. His organization, along with Jackson''''s, are anti-white, racist organizations, whose sole purpose of existence is to stir up trouble and divide our nation into BLACK and WHITE.

"a reorganization intended to ensure the group''''s long-term fiscal stability. " No way...it''''s intended to ensure the groups ability to terrorize corporations into supporting their cause or be labeled as "racist" and be boycotted.

Jackson and Sharpton need to be "dealt with"...they are an embarrassment to all Americans


Aggie, you also forgot to mention Barack, he is of the same ilk.

[tbweb]

Okay, fellow posters...I''''m going to give a grammar lesson because this is appearing A LOT in the forums.

The difference between "your" and "you''''re" is that "your" shows possession of something...like "your shoes."

YOU''''RE is a combination of the words "you" and "are." "You''''re going to Sharpton''''s rally."

Use these correctly, and amaze your employer, family, and friends...they''''ll think you''''re a genius!! (Notice correct usage in that last sentence...)

Posted by aggiekat2004 at 08:54 AM : Jul 23, 2008,,,

This CBS Blog Editor has a problem with single quote marks, for whatever reason it does not handle them correctly, especially on re-Post replies. If you look above in this reply you''ll see what I mean. Bloggers who have been using this single quote mark error prone CBS Blog Editor are very aware of this single quote mark problem and use words without any quotes at all to avoid this error, even if it makes some words look misspelled or out of place, some who use "your" instead of "you''re" are just trying to avoid the error issues, many new Posters like yourself may not be aware of this! :)

[txgrouch2006]

WHOOPSIE! Another famous person having an "accident."

Just like all those sub-prime lenders. And Miley Cyrus taking off her clothes "by mistake." And Janet Jackson''s "wardrobe malfunction." And...

Americans are so ACCIDENT PRONE...

[impeach__w]

Now he can focus on calling out Jesse Jackson and Whoopi G.
Where are you Al? We need your wisdom and racism to guide us though allowing these racist comments on TV. We expect you to speak up when this happens!!

[bozworth4]

Use these correctly, and amaze your employer, family, and friends...they''''ll think you''''re a genius!! (Notice correct usage in that last sentence...)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by aggiekat2004


Watts ny dis got 2 du wif th news storie!??!!!??!!!"

thanx""""""

[far_point200]

Geez, I thought I would never chear for the IRS.

Ricum
Racum
Rucum
Get out their & really *****!

[hamiltongrad]

the JOKER = Al Franken.

The look , sound and act very creepily the same.

[aggiekat2004]

Hmmmm...apostrophes.

Apostrophes show possession, or show a contraction (a combination of words).

If you were saying, "I''m going to the market to get some peaches," you wouldn''t say "peach''s" because it''s a plural word, not possessive. What does the peach own?

And on contractions...I used the word "wouldn''t" in the past sentence. It is a combination of two words..."would" and "not." The apostrophe takes the place of the missing letter.

Also, if you were talking about your family in the plural form. "The Smiths are going to Six Flags." You wouldn''t say "The Smith''s," because it is plural. If you were talking about "The Smiths'' dog," you would put the apostrophe at the end.

Gosh, can you tell I have nothing better to do today?

: )

[aggiekat2004]

Stay tuned...perhaps I''ll give a lesson on "it''s" and "its," and perhaps even a general lesson in apostrophes!! Isn''t this exciting?? (note that it wasn''t "apostrophe''s"...that would denote possession as well!)

In fact, a pet peeve of mine...does everyone see quotation marks instead of apostrophes on the CBS forum? I''m on a Mac running Firefox, and I''m wondering if it does the same on PCs.

[aggiekat2004]

And just one more...then I''ll stop!

"February 7, 2008 -- HOOPS legend Charles Barkley says he definitely plans to run for governor of Alabama, but wants no campaign help from rabble-rousers like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. "I don''t believe in them. They always play the race card, and you can''t always play the race card," the former Houston Rockets power forward tells next month''s Playboy. "Sometimes the race card is needed but not in every situation. We have to hold blacks more accountable for their actions."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072008/gossip/pagesix/the_wrong_card_288940.htm

[aggiekat2004]

And from another part of that article with Charles Barkley:

"Q: You mentioned Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson earlier. What are your opinions of them?

A: I know them both, but they are race-baiters who have double standards for white racism and black racism."

[gocubs58]

Posted by aggiekat2004 - ....YOU''''RE is a combination of the words "you" and "are." "You''''re going to Sharpton''''s rally."

Use these correctly, and amaze your employer, family, and friends...they''''ll think you''''re a genius!! (Notice correct usage in that last sentence...)

-----

Thanks for you''re help......(lol)

[aggiekat2004]

Interesting note...Charles Barkley doesn''t like "rabble-rousers" like Jackson and Sharpton...from USAToday:

"Well, that''s because black people are (expletive deleted). One of the reasons that black people are not going to be successful is because of other black people. We tell black kids that if they make good grades, they are acting white. If they speak well, we tell them that they are acting white. We have a lot of demons in our own closet -- in our own family -- that we have to address. ... We become our own worst enemy with random black-on-black crime, teen pregnancy, single-parent homes. You know we cannot blaming white America for our ills. Does racism exist? Of course it does. But, at some point, I have to make sure I am educated. I don''t have ten kids and no job. I am not killing other black people. At some point, you have to grow up. ..."

[aggiekat2004]

Love it, pollroller1!

Should I?

I occasionally catch episodes of those court shows during the day, and I am appalled that people cannot speak properly! They all sound absolutely illiterate!

"No, your honor, Lisa sto ma phone and you know she ain''t givin it back to me ''cause she done gave it to da baby daddy!"

Agh! I guess this is "no child left behind." We have a society full of rednecks and connoisseurs of ebonics...I hope they don''t show these shows overseas to our European counterparts!!

[pollroller1]

aggiekat2004 maybe you can also explain how to use two and to too. I hope that''s not too much to ask. LOL

[docpeter-2009]

"Feds Drop Criminal Probe Of Al Sharpton"

"One little tidbit here worth noting in the interest of fairness and balance, the FED may not exactly be acting honorably and above board, not exactly, some of this may be politically motivated."

As Posted by tbweb at 12:17 AM : Jul 23, 2008.
___________________

Or it could be a warning to all that we, the IRS, are willing to prosecute everyone, not just the little guy.

They choose a high profile person -Snipes, Sharpton- who can afford the high $$ attorney and the little guy thinks they will prosecute me and I can''t afford an attorney, better pay those taxes.

[aggiekat2004]

Okay, fellow posters...I''m going to give a grammar lesson because this is appearing A LOT in the forums.

The difference between "your" and "you''re" is that "your" shows possession of something...like "your shoes."

YOU''RE is a combination of the words "you" and "are." "You''re going to Sharpton''s rally."

Use these correctly, and amaze your employer, family, and friends...they''ll think you''re a genius!! (Notice correct usage in that last sentence...)

[aggiekat2004]

These guys are idiots. His organization, along with Jackson''s, are anti-white, racist organizations, whose sole purpose of existence is to stir up trouble and divide our nation into BLACK and WHITE.

"a reorganization intended to ensure the group''s long-term fiscal stability. " No way...it''s intended to ensure the groups ability to terrorize corporations into supporting their cause or be labeled as "racist" and be boycotted.

Jackson and Sharpton need to be "dealt with"...they are an embarrassment to all Americans.