Editing Al Sharpton (section)

==Controversies==
===Tobacco industry funding===
In 2021, Sharpton was criticized for leading a tobacco industry pushback against a proposed ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes using "cynically manipulative" arguments while his National Action Network accepted funding from tobacco companies.<ref>STAT News, [https://web.archive.org/web/20210728105025/https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/26/menthol-cigarettes-social-justice-theory-should-not-trump-science/ "On menthol cigarettes, social justice theory shouldn’t trump science"], 26 July 2021</ref>

===Comments on Mormons===
During 2007, Sharpton was accused of bigotry for comments he made in a debate with [[Christopher Hitchens]] on May 7, 2007, concerning presidential candidate [[Mitt Romney]] and his religion, [[Mormonism]]:

{{blockquote|As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/09/romney.sharpton.ap/ Sharpton accused of 'bigotry' after remark on faith] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510134247/http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/09/romney.sharpton.ap/ |date=May 10, 2007 }}, CNN, May 9, 2007.</ref>}}

In response, a representative for Romney told reporters that "bigotry toward anyone because of their beliefs is unacceptable."<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-05-09-sharpton-romney_N.htm Sharpton denies disputing Romney's faith], ''[[USA Today]]'', May 9, 2007.</ref> The [[Catholic League (U.S.)|Catholic League]] compared Sharpton to [[Don Imus]], and said that his remarks "should finish his career".<ref>[http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1203563 Catholic League Calls For End of Sharpton's Career], KSL-TV, May 10, 2007.</ref>

On May 9, during an interview on ''[[Paula Zahn NOW]]'', Sharpton said that his views on Mormonism were based on the "[[Black people and Mormonism|Mormon Church's traditionally racist views regarding blacks]]" and its interpretation of the so-called "[[Curse of Ham#In the Latter-day Saint Movement|Curse of Ham]]".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/us/politics/10romney.html "Romney Accuses Sharpton of a Bigoted Remark"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 10, 2007.</ref> On May 10, Sharpton called two [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] and apologized to them for his remarks and asked to meet with them.<ref>[http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660219496,00.html Sharpton apologizes to LDS Church apostles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512042551/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C660219496%2C00.html |date=May 12, 2007 }}, ''[[Deseret News]]'', May 10, 2007.</ref> A spokesman for the Church confirmed that Sharpton had called and said that "we appreciate it very much, Rev. Sharpton's call, and we consider the matter closed."<ref name="Deseret">[http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660219703,00.html Sharpton apologizes, plans Utah trip] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513032351/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C660219703%2C00.html |date=May 13, 2007 }}, ''[[Deseret News]]'', May 11, 2007.</ref> He also apologized to "any member of the Mormon church" who was offended by his comments.<ref name="Deseret" /> Later that month, Sharpton went to [[Salt Lake City]], Utah, where he met with Elder [[M. Russell Ballard]], a leader of the Church, and Elder Robert C. Oaks of the Church's [[Seventy (Latter Day Saints)|Presidency of the Seventy]].<ref>[http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b34f19a4e80b2110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD The Rev. Al Sharpton Completes Visit to Church Headquarters]{{dead link|date=July 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Newsroom, [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], May 22, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660222765,00.html 'Common ground'&nbsp;— Sharpton tours, meets with apostle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630120509/http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C660222765%2C00.html |date=June 30, 2007 }}, ''[[Deseret News]]'', May 22, 2007.</ref>

===Racial and homophobic comments===
On February 13, 1994, Sharpton told a student audience at [[Kean University]] in [[New Jersey]]: "White folks was in the caves while we was building empires," he said. "We built pyramids before [[Donald Trump]] even knew what architecture was. We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before [[Socrates]] and them Greek homos ever got around to it." Sharpton defended his comments by saying that the term "homo" was not homophobic; however, he added that he no longer uses the term.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.salon.com/2003/06/21/sharpton_7/|title=The skeletons and suits in Sharpton's closet|last=Tapper|first=Jake|date=June 21, 2003|website=Salon}}</ref> At the same lecture, he said, "Do some cracker come and tell you, 'Well my mother and father blood go back to the [[Mayflower]],' you better hold your pocket. That ain't nothing to be proud of, that means their forefathers was crooks."<ref name="Moynihan">{{citation|author=Moynihan, Daniel Patrick|title=Miles to Go: A Personal History of Social Policy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gSXLSDHXACcC&pg=PA23|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1996|page=23|isbn=0674574400|author-link=Daniel Patrick Moynihan}}</ref>

On one occasion in 1992, he derided moderate black politicians close to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] as "cocktail sip Negroes" or "yellow niggers".<ref>{{cite news|last1=MITCHELL|first1=ALISON|title=Sharpton's Headache: To Get Out the Vote|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/09/nyregion/sharpton-s-headache-to-get-out-the-vote.html|access-date=September 3, 2015|agency=The New York Times|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 9, 1992}}</ref>

===Tawana Brawley rape case===
{{Main|Tawana Brawley rape allegations}}
[[File:Al Sharpton to David Shankbone on whether he is tired of hearing about Tawana Brawley.ogg|thumb|Al Sharpton interviewed in 2007 on whether he is tired of hearing about Tawana Brawley 20 years later]]

On November 28, 1987, Tawana Brawley, a 15-year-old black girl, was found smeared with [[feces]], lying in a garbage bag, her clothing torn and burned and with various slurs and epithets written on her body in charcoal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/tawana-brawley-rape-allegations-sparks-racial-strife-1987-article-1.2445708|title=Tawana Brawley alleges being raped after she was found in a trash bag in 1987|website=New York Daily News|date=November 27, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite magazine |last=Sherman |first=Scott |date=March 30, 2001 |title=He Has a Dream |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/he-has-dream/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707082300/https://www.thenation.com/article/he-has-dream/ |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |url-status=dead |magazine=[[The Nation]] |access-date=July 7, 2019}}</ref> Brawley claimed she had been assaulted and [[rape]]d by six white men, some of them police officers, in the town of [[Wappinger, New York]].<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/booming/revisiting-the-tawana-brawley-rape-scandal.html|title=Revisiting a Rape Scandal That Would Have Been Monstrous if True|first=Michael|last=Winerip|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 3, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tawana-brawley-hoax_n_3709058|title=Woman Who Created Rape Hoax Forced to Pay Damages|date=August 5, 2013|website=HuffPost}}</ref>

Attorneys [[Alton H. Maddox]] and [[C. Vernon Mason]] joined Sharpton in support of Brawley. A [[grand jury]] was convened; after seven months of examining police and medical records, the jury found "overwhelming evidence" that Brawley had fabricated her story.<ref name="Evidence Points">{{cite news |title=Evidence Points to Deceit by Brawley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/27/nyregion/evidence-points-to-deceit-by-brawley.html?pagewanted=all |work=[[The New York Times]] |quote=A seven-month New York State grand jury inquiry has compiled overwhelming evidence that Tawana Brawley fabricated her story of abduction and sexual abuse by a gang of racist white men last year, according to investigators, witnesses and official summaries of evidence presented to the panel. |date=September 27, 1988 |access-date=January 20, 2008}}</ref> Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason had accused the [[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess County]] prosecutor, [[Steven Pagones]], of racism and of being one of the perpetrators of the alleged abduction and rape. The three were successfully sued for defamation, and were ordered to pay $345,000 in damages, with the jury finding Sharpton liable for making seven defamatory statements about Pagones, Maddox for two, and Mason for one.<ref name=cnn-1998-01-14>{{cite news |title=Winner in Brawley suit says victory is bittersweet |date=January 14, 1998 |url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/13/brawley.verdict.02/ |work=CNN|access-date=April 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320025016/http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/13/brawley.verdict.02/ |archive-date=March 20, 2007}}</ref> Sharpton refused to pay his share of the damages; it was later paid by a number of black business leaders including [[Johnnie Cochran]].<ref name=closet>{{cite news|title=The skeletons and suits in Sharpton's closet |url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/06/20/sharpton/index.html?pn=2 |work=Salon |access-date=April 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418001602/http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/06/20/sharpton/index.html?pn=2 |archive-date=April 18, 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

Sharpton said in 2007 that if he had it to do over again, he might have not attacked Pagones personally, but would otherwise have handled the Brawley case the same way. He added: "I disagreed with the grand jury on Brawley. I believed there was enough evidence to go to trial. Grand jury said there wasn't. Okay, fine. Do I have a right to disagree with the grand jury? Many Americans believe [[O. J. Simpson]] was guilty. A jury said he wasn't. So I have as much right to question a jury as they do. Does it make somebody a racist? No! They just disagreed with the jury. So did I."<ref name=DS>[[n:Al Sharpton speaks out on race, rights and what bothers him about his critics|Interview with Al Sharpton]], David Shankbone, ''[[Wikinews]]'', December 3, 2007.</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=May 2020}}

Michael Hardy, who served as defense lawyer for Sharpton in Pagones' defamation case against him, would becoming a key founding member of [[National Action Network]], serving as Executive Vice President and later also becoming General Counsel in 2008.<ref name=sharptonlawyerandrighthandman>{{cite news|url=https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2024/07/22/national-action-network-general-counsel-evp-michael-hardy-dies-sharpton/|title=Longtime National Action Network EVP and General Counsel Michael Hardy, Esq. passes away|publisher=New York Amsterdam News|date=July 22, 2024|accessdate=July 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/25/us/michael-hardy-dead.html|title=Michael Hardy, Sharpton's Longtime Lawyer and Confidant, Dies at 69|first=Sam|last=Roberts|work=New York Times|date=July 25, 2024|accessdate=July 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalactionnetwork.net/staff/michael-a-hardy/|title=Michael A. Hardy, Esq.|publisher=National Action Network|accessdate=July 25, 2024}}</ref> Hardy served with Sharpton's organization until his death in July 2024.<ref name=sharptonlawyerandrighthandman />

===Work as FBI informant===
Sharpton said in 1988 that he informed for the government in order to stem the flow of crack cocaine into black neighborhoods. He denied informing on civil rights leaders.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/21/nyregion/protest-figure-reported-to-be-a-us-informant.html |title=Protest Figure Reported To Be a U.S. Informant |first=M. A. |last=Farber |date=January 21, 1988 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/24/nyregion/sharpton-champion-or-opportunist.html |title=Sharpton: Champion or Opportunist? |first=M. A. |last=Farber |date=February 24, 1988 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.corenyc.org/omeka/items/show/109 |title=Minister and Informant |work=Newsday |date=January 20, 1988 |first1=Bob |last1=Drury |first2=Robert E. |last2=Kessler |first3=Mike |last3=McAlary |access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref>

In 2002, HBO's ''[[Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel]]'' aired a 19-year-old FBI videotape of an undercover sting operation showing Sharpton with an undercover FBI agent posing as a Latin American drug lord. During the discussion, the undercover agent offered Sharpton a 10% commission for arranging drug sales. On the videotape, Sharpton mostly nods and allows the FBI agent to do most of the talking. No drug deal was ever consummated, and no charges were brought against Sharpton as a result of the tape.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/25/nyregion/a-19-year-old-fbi-videotape-keeps-pulling-sharpton-back-to-the-past.html |title=A 19-Year-Old F.B.I. Videotape Keeps Pulling Sharpton Back to the Past |first1=Ralph |last1=Blumenthal |first2=Susan |last2=Saulny |date=July 25, 2002 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 21, 2013}}</ref>

In April 2014, [[The Smoking Gun]] obtained documents indicating that Sharpton became an [[FBI]] informant in 1983 following Sharpton's role in a drug sting involving [[Colombo crime family]] captain [[Michael Franzese]]. Sharpton allegedly recorded incriminating conversations with [[Genovese crime family|Genovese]] and [[Gambino crime family|Gambino]] family mobsters, contributing to the indictments of several underworld figures. Sharpton is referred to in FBI documents as "CI-7".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/investigation/al-sharpton-764312 |title=Al Sharpton's Secret Work As FBI Informant |publisher=The Smoking Gun |date=April 7, 2014}}</ref>

Summarizing the evidence supporting that Sharpton was an active FBI informant in the 1980s, [[William Bastone]], the Smoking Gun's founder, stated: "If he (Sharpton) didn't think he was an informant, the 'Genovese squad' of the FBI and NYPD officials sure knew him to be an informant. He was paid to be an informant, he carried a briefcase with a recording device in it, and he made surreptitious tape recordings of a Gambino crime family member 10 separate times as an informant. He did it at the direction of the FBI, he was prepped by the FBI, was handed the briefcase by the FBI and was debriefed after the meetings. That's an informant."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/08/al-sharpton-fbi-informant-claims-are-embellished-crazy-a-stretch.html |title=Al Sharpton: I'm No Snitch |website=The Daily Beast |date=April 8, 2014}}</ref> Sharpton disputes portions of the allegations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/08/sharpton-fbi-informant/7457761/ |title=Al Sharpton downplays claims he was an FBI informant |newspaper=USA Today |date=April 8, 2014}}</ref>

Sharpton is alleged to have secretly recorded conversations with black activists in the 1980s regarding Joanne Chesimard ([[Assata Shakur]]) and other underground black militants. Veteran activist Ahmed Obafemi told the [[New York Daily News|New York ''Daily News'']] that he had long suspected Sharpton of taping him with the bugged briefcase.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/activist-recalls-1983-meeting-sharpton-bugged-briefcase-article-1.1754857| author = Ron Howell | title = Ahmed Obafemi recalls 1983 meeting with Rev. Al Sharpton and his bugged briefcase | work = Daily News |location=New York | date = April 13, 2014}}</ref>

===Tax issues===
In 1993, Sharpton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to file a state income tax return. Later, the authorities discovered that one of Sharpton's for-profit companies, Raw Talent, which he used as a repository for money from speaking engagements, was also not paying taxes, a failure that continued for years.<ref name="Buettner">{{cite news |title=Questions About Sharpton's Finances Accompany His Rise in Influence |first=Russ |last=Buettner |date=November 18, 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/nyregion/questions-about-al-sharptons-finances-accompany-his-rise-in-influence.html |access-date=December 12, 2014}}</ref>

On May 9, 2008, the [[Associated Press]] reported that Sharpton and his businesses owed almost $1.5&nbsp;million in unpaid taxes and penalties. Sharpton owed $931,000 in federal income tax and $366,000 to New York, and his for-profit company, Rev. Al Communications, owed another $176,000 to the state.<ref name="Taxes" />

The [[Internal Revenue Service]] sent [[subpoena]]s to several corporations that had donated to Sharpton's [[National Action Network]]. Sharpton countered the investigative actions with a charge that they reflected a political agenda by United States agencies.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Marzulli |title=Sharpton gets big gun to fend off feds |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/06/19/2008-06-19_sharpton_gets_big_gun_to_fend_off_feds.html |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |date=June 20, 2008 |access-date=June 20, 2008 |location=New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623192331/http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/06/19/2008-06-19_sharpton_gets_big_gun_to_fend_off_feds.html |archive-date=June 23, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 29, 2010, Robert Snell of ''[[The Detroit News]]'' reported that the Internal Revenue Service had filed a notice of federal [[tax lien]] against Sharpton in New York City in the amount of over $538,000.<ref name=snell>Robert Snell, "Sharpton faced with fresh tax woe," ''[[The Detroit News]]'', September 29, 2010, at {{cite web|url=http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php?blogid%3D79 |title=DETNEWS &#124; Weblogs &#124; Tax Watchdog |access-date=October 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101005074009/http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/taxingdetroitblog/index.php?blogid=79 |archive-date=October 5, 2010  }}.</ref> Sharpton's lawyer asserts that the notice of federal tax lien relates to Sharpton's year 2009 federal income tax return, the due date of which has been extended to October 15, 2010, according to the lawyer. However, the Snell report states that the lien relates to taxes ''assessed during 2009''.<ref name=snell/>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', Sharpton and his for-profit businesses owed $4.5 million in state and federal taxes as of November 2014.<ref name="Buettner"/>