DOES THIS THROW BACK ARTICLE CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHO AL SHARPTON MAY REALLY BE? (595 hits)
Rev Al Sharpton on FBI Tape - Drug Dealer &Snitch
Sharpton on drug sting tape
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2002
A shocking FBI surveillance tape shows the Rev. Al Sharpton discussing a major drug deal with an undercover agent posing as a South American kingpin.
The black activist was offered thousands of dollars as a cut for arranging bulk sales of cocaine on the 1983 videotape, which will be shown tonight on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."
"I can get pure coke ... for about 35,000 a kilo," says Victor Quintana, the FBI agent, as Sharpton nods during the sting operation. "But I gotta get, you know, more than one."
"Right," Sharpton replies.
"Ten kilograms is, like, $350,000," Quintana says. "That's a drop in the bucket, you know. We can go bigger."
Sharpton nods.
"Every kilogram we bring in is 3,500 to you. How does that sound?" Quintana asks, as Sharpton nods again. "So we bring in 10, you'll make $35,000.
"I hear you," Sharpton replies.
Sharpton admitted yesterday that he appears on the never-before-seen tape but insisted he was rebuffing a government attempt to set him up.
He says he played along with Quintana even when he mentioned cocaine in part because he feared Quintana might be armed.
"It's not damaging at all. It's a vindication of what I have been saying for years," said Sharpton, 47. "This is nothing but a government smear campaign."
The grainy tape shows Sharpton plunking himself down in a paneled office facing the FBI agent posing as a cocaine dealer.
An unlit cigar stuffed in his mouth, Sharpton sports a cowboy hat over his familiar '80s-vintage bouffant hair-do.
The conversation is somewhat cryptic, but the undercover agent offers Sharpton a 10% finder's fee to arrange the sale of several kilos of cocaine. The ultimate buyer is not named.
"But that's a drip in the bucket," the phony drug lord continues.
"Well, if [the unnamed buyer] can, if he's gonna do it, he'll do it much more than that," Sharpton says.
"If he can do it 100 times over, I might be able to supply it 100 times over," Quintana replies.
Bolts HBO interview
On the HBO show, Sharpton first refuses to watch the video and storms out of the interview with reporter Bernard Goldberg.
But he later returns, watches and attacks the video as a setup.
The drug deal was never consummated, and no charges were brought against Sharpton as a result of the tape.
Law enforcement sources have said the FBI used the tape as leverage to enlist Sharpton as a government informant against fellow black activists and others.
In the past, Sharpton has admitted wearing a wire and allowing the government to tap his home phone, but he now denies that he was a snitch.
"The question is: Why would the government say that?" Sharpton said yesterday. "If they have an agreement with me, where is it?"
Focus on ex-wise guy
HBO is airing the tape as part of a story about Michael Franzese, a former Mafia captain who once facilitated gambling by pro athletes.
Franzese tells HBO he met Sharpton after Quintana approached him in hopes of hooking up with boxing promoter Don King.
Sharpton supposedly was planning to arrange a meeting with King to finalize the deal.
But neither Franzese nor Sharpton knew Quintana was a government agent probing the boxing business and possible ties between the mob and King.
The question of links among King, Sharpton and the mob has been fertile ground for investigations.
Several newspaper exposés have dealt with the issue, and a second bombshell video from the same FBI probe showed Sharpton discussing boxing deals with reputed mob soldiers.
The Senate investigations subcommittee also focused on King and Sharpton during high-profile 1992 hearings into the dirty fight business.
But the Sharpton drug tape didn't surface until HBO recently obtained it.
The stakes are high for Sharpton, who has talked about running for President in 2004.
Other revelations about his past have done little to deter his lofty political ambitions, and he insisted the tape would boost his popularity.
"If anything it will rally people around me," Sharpton said. "For 18 years, the government has been trying to find a way to get me."
I can only say wow!
Monday, January 11th 2010 at 8:52PM
Gwendolyn Davis
Yes, I had to wonder why he was hyped about helping my sister April, then it was like he snuck around trying to whisper like he was scared to take a stand, like someone had their foot on his neck,and i just became questionable about who he is, cause real leaders do real things, and someone told me that he is 'assigned' tasks, and when to speak and when not to speak, they told me that he was bought and sold, and they referred me to this piece of evidence and i am like hmm....
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 2:44AM
Free April
[Sharpton admitted yesterday that he appears on the never-before-seen tape but insisted he was rebuffing a government attempt to set him up. He says he played along with Quintana even when he mentioned cocaine in part because he feared Quintana might be armed. "It's not damaging at all. It's a vindication of what I have been saying for years," said Sharpton, 47. "This is nothing but a government smear campaign." ]
I don't really care for Al Sharpton, but I am not convinced that he would want to take a cut of the drug cartel money especially when a great deal of these drugs devastates African American communities. I think we need to learn the reason the tape is coming out now in 2010 ---some 8 years later. Why now is my question? Is ole' Al planning to run for election in 2012? We shall see.
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 2:19PM
Jen Fad
[But the Sharpton drug tape didn't surface until HBO recently obtained it.]
I wonder how much HBO paid for the tape? Times are truly hard in America and people are really desperate!
I sorry, but until they have evidence of Mr. Sharpton, and he is behind prison walls, I will stand by him. He’s never run from any situation that the black folks found themselves in. He is the only activist out there that will come running when a situation occurs in the black community. Every time we have a black leader, a rumor gets started to try to destroy his reputation in the black community and we like fools fall for it (King, Malcolm, Farrakhan and many others) leaving the black communities without a voice. It’s called divide and conquer. I’m not saying he may not have been in some underhanded dealings, maybe so, but until it comes to light, we don't know. but what the FBI doesn’t have is evidence. If they did, they wouldn’t have released the tape. They would have continued to pursue him like 20 years with Michael Jackson. We as a community need to wake up and support our leaders out there on the forefront, whether we approve of them or not. We can agree to disagree but don’t throw him to dogs, cause when you need someone like Mr. Sharpton, he won’t be there!
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 3:33PM
anita moore
Sister Anita, I feel the passion in your response/comment. I know Sharpton is a hero to many people in our community especially the poor and I hope one day we will all be able to afford the best attorneys money our money can buy instead of calling Sharpton. I agree with you that we shouldn't throw him to the dogs; I think we should at least question HBO's or the people who sold the tape to HBO.
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 4:37PM
Jen Fad
I personally think he is fake, he was on the radio like he was down for my sisiter, but off air, 1000 and 1 reasons, he didn't step up like he said he would, I think he is a puppet, the tape goes to show, that he did not get charged because he is a flunkie, and he wore wires 4 them in the past, and propblaly still does-whne Michael Jackson doied he did not console Kathrene , he kicked it eith Joseph, that says alot
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 7:56PM
Free April
I don't understand why he would volunteer to be taped, that makes me think that he is a little shakey
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 8:17PM
Gwendolyn Davis
[I personally think he is fake, he was on the radio like he was down for my sisiter, but off air, 1000 and 1 reasons, he didn't step up like he said he would,...]
That's messed up that Sharpton made empty promises to you! Did he call you or write you to tell you why he didn't follow through?
Tuesday, January 12th 2010 at 10:15PM
Jen Fad
@Jen, oh no he was hyped about helping her on the air, and then personally said to call his main secretary about setting stuff up to help, whe i called her she broke it down that he was not going to help, and if we had money to brig him here it was a possibilty that he would help, then when I tried to go back to him , i was denied access to him, it was real off, and I think he did not know he was being taped, he was set up , to show how fake he is, and then the tape also broght tolighjt that in the past b4 the tape and after, he was wearing wires for the FEDS against other black people, he is real suspect.
Wednesday, January 13th 2010 at 2:22PM
Free April
I can see how that would change your outlook on Sharpton. That was real messed up, because he should have made it known what his requirements were upfront such as you having to come out of your own pocket to fly him to your city. I think lawyers can do better than Sharpton, because they ask you pay for retainers and paperwork at different stages in the ball game. At least with attorneys you know that it takes money. I guess no pro bono cases unless it hypes Sharpton's image in the media, eh? Does he still have the reality show?
Thursday, January 14th 2010 at 3:01AM
Jen Fad
he has a radio show, the attorneys in Milwaukee are scared, this is mob related -they are all corrupt
Thursday, January 14th 2010 at 2:24PM
Free April
its going to take the power of the people!!!!!!!
Thursday, January 14th 2010 at 2:28PM
Free April
I'm suspicious of this post anyway. If indeed HBO had something to report on Al sharpton it would be all over the news, yet I've seen nothing. CNN would be interupting their regular shows for Mr. Sharpton. they've wanted him for years. I googled him also and nothing. I know that the Haiti situation is the most important thing right now, but something would have been said about Al. Aparently it must be a rumor. They are always trying to divide us up in the black community anyway.
Thursday, January 14th 2010 at 3:32PM
anita moore
Sister Anita, This video aired in 2002.
Thursday, January 14th 2010 at 7:35PM
Jen Fad
....however Sister Anita I did find a clip called Who is Al Sharpton? ... There are some real compelling ex- insiders who say Al Sharpton isn't all he's chalked up to be.
Thanks sista for your insight. I viewed those so called insiders and first I'll say they were put there from the beginning, they had a problem with Sharpton because he liked to sensationalize himself, put himself in the media, but my question to the audience is, if he didn't do these things, would he have been heard through mass media. No. They only show up when theres a problem. People who want to be in the lime light and are getting shoved to the back usually lash out at the one in front who they are in disagreement with. I say keep on getting up Mr. Sharpton.
Saturday, January 16th 2010 at 11:33AM
anita moore
Al Sharpton, is fake phony and full of bologna! He would not pay you any mind, if he cannot make a dime off of your cause, or plights, to each its own, ignorance is bliss.....
Monday, January 18th 2010 at 9:21AM
Free April
