Here’s a sweetheart deal if you’ve ever seen one. The Reverend Al Sharpton is preparing to retire, but before doing so he’s sold the rights to his life story to the National Action Network for more than half a million dollars. If that name sounds familiar it’s because NAN is Sharpton’s own “charity” that he’s been operating for decades. Should we just assume that nobody else was interested in buying this gem of a biography? No matter the negotiations that led up to this, it will be a tidy way to drain even more money from NAN and into his own pockets before he steps down. (Free Beacon)

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), has sold the nonprofit the rights to his “life story” for $531,000, according to tax filings reviewed by the New York Post.

Sharpton, who plans to step down from NAN’s helm next year, denied the arrangement would enrich him. Rather, he said the agreement allows NAN to enjoy the sales revenue, which he anticipates will exceed the sale price. The deal hands over the rights to his story for 10 years.

Sharpton founded NAN in 1991. According to its mission statement, NAN pursues “police accountability” and “criminal justice reform,” with warnings of “no justice, no peace” until change takes place.

This is simply incredible. And as the New York Post went on to point out using interviews with various financial services professionals, this could spell even more legal trouble for Sharpton. There are limits on how much compensation a “charity” can hand out to its executives and Sharpton already pockets almost a quarter million per year from NAN as his salary.

What do you suppose the Good Reverend will be doing with all this cash? Might he be applying some of it toward the more than $700K in back taxes he still owes, both personally and for several of his failed startup companies? Al Sharpton, his daughter, and nearly everyone else associated with NAN seem to be perpetually delinquent on their taxes. There’s also the matter of $2.5 million in outstanding federal liens against him.

Pardon me for being excessively tough on this character, but I’ve been observing Sharpton’s antics since the 90s. There’s never been a time when he didn’t seem to be involved in one scam or another. NAN is largely a sham outfit that Sharpton has used to force “donations” from companies and other organizations under the threat of organizing protests against them if they didn’t cough up the cash.

He has also been one of the most prolific race-baiters and antisemites on the national stage. How he continues to merit the sort of respect paid to him by national media and far too many politicians is a mystery. And now, before exiting the scene of these various crimes, it certainly appears that he plans to drain NAN’s bank account for his own benefit as best he can.

Still, as sure as the sun rises in the east, you can expect some sort of retirement honors for Sharpton, citing him for all of his “work” to benefit minority communities. The media can’t help themselves. Perhaps Al and Louis Farrakhan can start some sort of retirement commune together.