Rev. Sharpton Busted on FBI Camera

When Al Sharpton's friends were awoken by agents earlier this week who were seeking documents related to the Reverends finances, Sharpton called it a racist issue as is his typical m.o. They have nothing on him he declared and it's a witch hunt because he's a black leader and he was the leader on the drive to free the "Jena Six".

Well, it turns out that the feds do indeed have something on him and it was evidence gathered in a City of Brotherly Love corruption probe:

With a hidden FBI camera rolling inside a New York hotel suite in 2003, an unsuspecting Rev. Al Sharpton, Democratic candidate for president, spoke candidly.

Sharpton offered to help Philadelphia fund-raiser Ronald A. White win a multimillion-dollar business deal, if White helped him raise $50,000 for politics.

White offered $25,000. "If you bring my guys up on this hedge fund, and I have the right conversation," White said, "I'll give you what you need."

"Cool," Sharpton said.

The Inquirer obtained an account of the May 9, 2003, conversation, which was recorded as part of the Philadelphia City Hall corruption case. The tape helped spark a separate inquiry into Sharpton's 2004 campaign and his civil-rights organization, the National Action Network. The FBI-IRS probe resurfaced publicly Wednesday, when Sharpton aides received subpoenas.

In an interview today, Sharpton said there is "absolutely nothing illegal" about tying business deals to fund-raising because he is not a public official.

"The tapes vindicate me," Sharpton said. "They show that I did not talk about bribing a public official or paying money under the table."

They have 20-separate conversations between him and White discussing a huge NYC pension deal as well. The initial probe was investigating pay-to-play corruption in the office of former Mayor John Street and involved City Treasurer Corey Kemp as well as White. White died before the case could come to trial and Kemp was sentenced to 10-years for his complicity. Detroit businessman LaVan Hawkins was also convicted in the case.

This is not going away no matter how much Sharpton wants to pull the race card. He's corrupt and the proof will surface. There's no way the FBI or IRS would begin an investigation guaranteed to become the most high-profile of the year without having the i's dotted and the t's crossed.

Update: For the record, the Inquirer did have this on the front page, however it was below the fold. What could have been more important? The Bali, Indonesia UN environmental circle jerk that's leaving a bigger carbon footprint in one week than my entire town does in a year. They're having so much fun, they've extended it for a day.