Ken Berwitz
It pays to havefriends in high places.
Al Sharpton gavehimself a 71 percent raise last year after his National Action Network groupdrew a record $6.9 million in donations – as the controversial cleric’sassociation with Mayor de Blasio and President Obama lent him a newfound air oflegitimacy.
De Blasio\’s electiongave Sharpton a seat at City Hall, as the mayor treated him asan adviser and presented him at a press event next to Police Commissioner BillBratton after the death of Eric Garner.
Also in 2014, Obama addressedNAN\’s annual convention, bringing along five of his Cabinet members.
The Harlem-basednonprofit collected $2 million more in 2014 than the year before, according tothe latest financial records available.
Sharpton\’s payincreased from $241,545 in 2013 to $412,644, including a bonus of $64,400, taxfilings obtained by The Post show.
NAN does not need todisclose its donors, but a program distributed at his birthday parties hadfull-page ads from companies that gave money. AT&T, real-estate developerForest City Ratner, Walmart, McDonald\’s, Verizon and GE Asset Management wereall included.
The windfall allowed theorganization to finish 2014 in the black. Yet NAN, and Sharpton, continuedtheir deadbeat ways.
NAN didn\’t pony up itslast installment on the $780,145 it owed the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes untilthis Oct. 22, the organization\’s financial statements show. The nonprofit hadracked up unpaid payroll taxes since at least 2003, according to publicrecords.
Sharpton, meanwhile, still has outstandingtax liens of $3.4 million, including money he owes personally toboth New York state and the IRS, and taxes owed by his businesses, according topublic records. He paid off one federal lien, for $931,398, in April.
