Reverend Al Sharpton is attempting to defend his character after news he is a former FBI informant leaked to the public earlier in the week.
On Monday, The Smoking Gun published documents that claimed details of the Reverend being a former informant for the FBI.
The site reports, “[Sharpton] once interacted with members of four of New York City’s five organized crime families. He even secretly taped some of those wiseguys using a briefcase that FBI technicians outfitted with a recording device.”
The site also alleges that Sharpton’s work with the FBI dates back to the mid-1980s. “A lengthy investigation by The Smoking Gun has uncovered remarkable details about Sharpton’s past work as an informant for a joint organized crime task force comprised of FBI agents and NYPD detectives, as well as his dealings with an assortment of wiseguys.”
The site adds, “Sharpton’s cooperation was fraught with danger since the FBI’s principal targets were leaders of the Genovese crime family, the country’s largest and most feared Mafia outfit. In addition to aiding the FBI/NYPD task force, which was known as the “Genovese squad,” Sharpton’s cooperation extended to several other investigative agencies.”
Of the accusations, the Reverend spoke out during a press conference on Tuesday, not entirely denying the allegations, but adds, “I’m not a rat. I’m a cat. I chase rats.”
Watch as Sharpton tried his best to “dispute” the allegations.
The read the full details of Sharpton’s FBI affiliations head over to The Smoking Gun.
(Photos: MSNBC)
