Al Sharpton got $500G in illegal cash during White House run, audit says

Al Sharpton got $500G in illegal cash during White House run, audit says
By Celeste Katz and William Hammond DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Friday, November 14th 2008, 8:20 PM
Giancarli for News
The Rev. Al Sharpton was found to have received $500,000 in illegal campaign contributions by a Federal Election Commission audit.
The Rev. Al Sharpton raked in $500,000 in illegal campaign contributions during his 2004 White House run, a Federal Election Commission audit found.
The audit focused on Sharpton's use of his American Express card to pay for campaign activity and the apparent use of money from his nonprofit National Action Network to underwrite political expenses.
The FEC audit found Sharpton owes the U.S. Treasury nearly $487,000 in "prohibited" contributions and collected $10,500 in donations above legal limits.
The commission also said the campaign "materially misstated" its financial activity, including not figuring in $100,000 Sharpton received in federal campaign matching funds. Officials said he didn't qualify for matching funds because he didn't abide by campaign rules.
Sharpton, who plans to appeal the FEC ruling, said Friday he was entitled to continue his work as a preacher and National Action Network president while campaigning.
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"If I was a senator or a congressman, and I operated between Washington and my home district and went on foreign trips, they would say, 'You're doing your job.' But ... if I travel for the National Action Network ... they're charging that to the campaign," Sharpton said. "Why is it a different rule for me?"
He called the charges against him nebulous.
"There's no smoking gun. It doesn't make sense," he said.