The Teflon Don of Civil Rights

The Rev. Al Sharpton seems to have learned this lesson long ago: When you’re a controversial civil rights leader who’s made a career out of harassing the cops and embarrassing the government, never keep any assets in your own name. But that has never prevented authorities from vigorously inspecting the good reverend’s personal and organizational finances over the years, often coming up with troves of improprieties ranging from misappropriation to delinquency and possible fraud.

But even when the government seemed to have Mr. Sharpton and his organization squarely within its sights and hobbled by the costs of litigation, fines and arrears assessed for unpaid taxes, none of it seemed to stick.

He has repeatedly stuck his thumb in the eye of the best-laid plans for his demise and risen to a level of mainstream power and influence that belies what many feel is at best an unorthodox style and, at worst, a cynical exploitation of the suffering of the people he purports to represent. Certainly Mr. Sharpton’s role in the tawdry Tawana Brawley hoax, and his subsequent conviction for defamation for his role in tarnishing the careers and reputations of the falsely accused police officers, should been enough to bury him for good.

But the lessons he learned early on stood him in good stead. When the cameras are on, Mr. Sharpton seems to be literally everywhere. But when it comes time to pay the bill for that infamously earned publicity, he vanishes into a cloud of impalpable smoke. What assets does he own? Who pays his expenses? How does he manage to get around the country and set up shop at a moment’s notice each time there is a controversy involving the police and black people? Those are questions that government officials have tied themselves in knots trying to answer over the years, mostly to no avail.

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