Rev. Al Sharpton Says He's Not a Rat
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
WNYC
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Rev. Al Sharpton speaking at his National Action
Network headquarters in East Harlem about reports that he was an FBI
informant in the 1980s.
(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)
The Rev. Al Sharpton said a report indicating that he was a
paid FBI informant in the 1980s is old news, but acknowledged he worked
with the FBI while he was in the music business to protect himself from
the mob.
"I was not, and am not a rat," Sharpton said Tuesday. "I'm a cat, I chase rats, and whether it's a rat in racial profiling or police brutality, or mobsters exploiting black artists, don't get it confused." He calls critics of his choice to work with law enforcement hypocrites.
His comments came in response to an article by Bill Pastone of The Smoking Gun that claims Sharpton provided information that helped convict several high-profile mobsters. Sharpton denied this.
"If I had talked about a corrupt assemblyman in East Harlem that's good government, but if I'm talking about mobsters I'm 'Reverend Rat'? Give me a break," he said.
Sharpton's lawyers are looking at the documents posted by The Smoking Gun.
"I was not, and am not a rat," Sharpton said Tuesday. "I'm a cat, I chase rats, and whether it's a rat in racial profiling or police brutality, or mobsters exploiting black artists, don't get it confused." He calls critics of his choice to work with law enforcement hypocrites.
His comments came in response to an article by Bill Pastone of The Smoking Gun that claims Sharpton provided information that helped convict several high-profile mobsters. Sharpton denied this.
"If I had talked about a corrupt assemblyman in East Harlem that's good government, but if I'm talking about mobsters I'm 'Reverend Rat'? Give me a break," he said.
Sharpton's lawyers are looking at the documents posted by The Smoking Gun.
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