According to recent tax filings obtained by the New York Post, a top Democrat’s charity paid a lot of money to his own family.
Reverend Al Sharpton, a “civil rights activist,” reportedly paid more than $80,000 from his charity to his relatives during 2019. The charity, the National Action Network (NAN), “is an activist social justice organization that works with the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to provide a modern civil rights and human rights agenda.” NAN’s website urges visitors to “donate today” to ensure that the organization “continues fighting for justice.”
According to the tax filings, the charity allegedly paid $63,250 to Sharpton’s daughter, Ashley Sharpton, 33, for “social media” work and “consulting.” NAN also paid $13,750 to Sharpton’s niece, Nikki Sharpton, 45, for “special-event” work in NAN’s Atlanta bureau.
Al Sharpton paid his relatives $80,000 last year through his civil rights charity, tax filing reveals https://t.co/zJvK16TC0I
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) November 23, 2020
Sharpton’s oldest daughter, Dominique, 34, has been the organization’s membership director since 2008, but is not listed as receiving any compensation in the tax filings. However, according to Law Enforcement Today, “in 2018, she received a $95,000 payout in a lawsuit settlement with the city after she claimed she suffered a sprained ankle by walking on cracked pavement in Soho.”
In addition, Sharpton’s wife, Kathy Jordan Sharpton, received a grant of $5,000 from NAN, which was listed on their taxes as “scholarship money.” Sharpton actually separated from his wife back in 2004.
Reverend Al Sharpton’s nonprofit civil rights charity, the National Action Network, paid more than $80,000 to the preacher’s relatives last year, tax records have revealed. Receiving the bulk of the funds was Sharpton’s 33-year-old daughter Ashley Sharpton, who was paid $63,250. pic.twitter.com/QvhayXUxwD
— HJ (Hank) Ellison (@hjtherealj) November 23, 2020
The filings show that last year, the charity received $7.8 million in revenue, and spent $7.5 million. The report said that a quarter of the expenses were related to travel and transportation, with $777,623 going to Carey International, which is a high-end car services which boasts of its “world-class fleet” and its “certified, professional chauffeurs.”
Another $1.2 million reportedly went to air, train, and other travel costs. It was also noted in the tax filing that either Sharpton or Michael Hardy, the general counsel, flies first class.
NAN spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger responded to reports detailing the recent tax filings, saying that the car service budget paid for travel across the country that included transporting dignitaries to the group’s annual conference and regional meetings as well as transporting victims to rallies or trials. She also said that travel increased due to “voter engagement and registration,” the census, and construction of NAN tech hubs around the country.
Report: Al Sharpton's Charity Paid Relatives over $80K in 2019 https://t.co/Zo7vtx2G14 pic.twitter.com/FImgcrcwfn
— jose flores (@joseangelf375) November 22, 2020
Noerdlinger also claimed that the grant for Sharpton’s wife went towards a scholarship fund through her church, and that NAN contributes to the fund every year. However, no such grants have been listed on the organization’s tax filings in recent years.
Sharpton, 66, president of the organization, received a 1 percent raise in 2019, raising his yearly pay to $327,570. In 2018, he received an extra $722,948 in addition to his base pay of $324,000.
NAN claimed that the extra money was paid out to make up for the years when Sharpton was not fully paid: “The Harlem-based nonprofit, which Sharpton controls as president and CEO, said the extra cash was to make up for the years from 2004 to 2017 when he didn’t get his full pay. NAN said it hired an executive compensation firm that determined the good reverend was owed $1.252 million, but he was generously willing to take $500,000 less.”
Sharpton, who is also an MSNBC host, founded the charity in 1991. His relationship with NAN raised concerns in 2018 when tax filings showed that he was selling the rights to his life story to his own charity for $531,000. NAN said that it would make money through selling the rights to filmmakers or others.
