Joel Siegel in the NY Daily News - Rev. Al's on the road and off the books:
Like his rivals for President, the Rev. Al Sharpton has consultants, a spokesman, a Web site and a heavy travel schedule, visiting more than 80 cities by his count in just a few months.What a guy!
What the preacher doesn't have, mysteriously, is much in the way of campaign expenses.
Although some of his Democratic opponents have spent more than a million dollars so far, Sharpton's campaign filings say he's spent only $54,500 of $114,000 in campaign donations — and nearly half was for one splashy event in Washington. But a Daily News examination of Sharpton's campaign finances raises questions about whether he has disclosed all his spending as required by law and whether he has used paid speeches, a book tour and his nonprofit National Action Network to improperly subsidize his presidential ambitions.
Sharpton and his campaign manager, Frank Watkins, insist no violations of federal election law have occurred.
But when it comes to Sharpton's finances, there often are more questions than answers.
He's the only candidate who once said under oath that he didn't own his suits but only had "access" to them.
