RNC Giving Money to Al Sharpton?

It's bad enough that RNC head Michael Steele deems it necessary to pander to racist thug Al Sharpton and speak at his conference. He's a politician, after all, and pandering comes naturally.

But if this is true and the RNC is donating money to Sharpton's National Action Network, then Steele has to go.

Now.

The annual conference of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) runs today through Saturday in New York City. According to the official program, the “Republican National Convention” is among the 45 sponsors of the event that serves as Sharpton’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Perhaps the program was supposed to read “Republican National Committee.” According to NAN, sponsorship requires a contribution of $5,000 to $100,000.

If the RNC is now a donor to Sharpton’s group, it is another blow to RNC donors, already reeling from the lesbian bondage club episode. It would also mean that RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s staff has been less than forthcoming with me about the RNC’s actual involvement. Steele is speaking at the event this afternoon, an appearance we asked him to cancel. Yesterday, RNC Coalitions Director Angela Sailor insisted to me that Steele’s purpose in participating was to reach the 500-1,000 attendees with the GOP message.

Today, MSNBC’s Mara Schiavocampo, reporting live from the event, said that the RNC told her the same thing in response to her questions about our March 5 request that Steele cancel his speech. Schiavocampo noted the nature of our objections to which the RNC has not responded, namely that Sharpton should not be treated as a “legitimate public figure” and that he has “encouraged anti-Semitism and violence.”

As of yesterday the RNC hasn't denied this report. If they had not donated money to this thug, you'd think they'd be sure everyone knows it. As to the "Republican National Convention" being listed, well, that's not an actual organization so we figure it's just sloppiness on NAN's part.

It's quite a lineup of companies Sharpton's crew has shaken down for donations and I notice the DNC isn't one of the sponsors, although plenty of their union pals are.

H/T Lachlan Markey.