Al Sharpton Finances Targeted by the Feds

On Wednesday federal agents raided an estimated ten close associates of Al Sharpton, pictured above with Foxy Brown, demanding subpoenaed financial records dating back to 2001. A report says:

The FBI and IRS are investigating whether Sharpton improperly misstated the amount of money he raised during his 2004 White House run to illegally obtain federal matching funds, a source familiar with the probe said.

Sharpton, although forced to return $100,000 in matching taxpayer funds after an investigation two years ago, denied any wrongdoing at the time.

The feds are also looking into allegations of tax fraud, including whether Sharpton commingled funds from his nonprofit National Action Network with several of his for-profit ventures, the source said.

In April 2005, Sharpton denied allegations that he failed to report tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash to the Federal Election Committee.

Sharpton’s associates were summoned to testify before the grand jury on the morning after Christmas. The subpoenas additionally called for them to provide the IRS with all financial records from the campaign and a half-dozen Sharpton-related businesses.

Sharpton pleaded guilty in 1993 to a misdemeanor for failure to file a tax return. Looks like Al’s days of making money off civil rights may be numbered. Maybe Jesse Jackson will defend Al’s innocence, or then again, maybe Jesse will go hide under a rock before someone looks into his finances.