The government has also been instrumental in keeping the master-baiter afloat!
A little black mail goes a long way.
Are they supporting Sharpton or are they victims of extortion?
I hope none of them outfits is (gasp) cotton----from one of them racist Southern plantations.
http://nypost.com/2008/06/15/rev-al-soaks-up-boycott-bucks/
EXCERPT
Terrified of negative publicity, fearful of a consumer boycott or eager to make nice with the civil-rights activist, CEOs write checks, critics say, to NAN and Sharpton – who brandishes the buying power of African-American consumers. In some cases, they hire him as a consultant.
(snip)
National Action Network’s revenue has increased sharply, to more than $4 million in both 2011 and 2012, the year of the group’s most recent tax filing.
Much of that revenue appears to be from large corporate sponsors. A person who handled solicitations at a company that has supported the group said National Action Network often requested $50,000 or $100,000 to sponsor events.
Mr. Sharpton said his birthday party grossed about $1 million, enough to clear up the organization’s tax debts, removing a cloud that has long hung over the group and himself.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/rev-al-sharpton-1m-birthday-nonprofit-article-1.1961881
Rev. Al Sharpton gets $1M in birthday gifts to help bail out his nonprofit
The Rev. Al Sharpton received a big present for his 60th birthday bash — $1 million in contributions to help bail out his nonprofit National Action Network.
A thick, glossy program distributed to guests who attended the lavish Four Seasons party Wednesday night lays out the companies that ponied up. ATT and the developer Forest City Ratner paid for full page ads at what was called the “Activist Level.”
GE Asset Management and Walmart saluted NAN with half-page ads at the “Preacher Level.”
The Humane Society, billionaire Ron Perelman’s holding company MacAndrews & Forbes, McDonald’s, DC37, Verizon and the Partnership for New York City got in at the lower “Track Suit Level” at the back of the book.
In an interview, Sharpton said he didn’t know what the different donor levels gave because fund-raising was outsourced to an event planner. He said “corporate checks take 90 days” to cash, so it was too early to say exactly who paid what, but he said the party brought in a projected $1 million.
(snip)
Three-term former Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote: “You’re truly a unique American voice. A voice that has matured a great deal without mellowing one bit. And your best days are still ahead.”
Sharpton stayed quiet about Bloomberg’s decision to overturn term limits after he received a $110,000 grant from the mayor’s nonprofit, the Daily News reported at the time.
Actually it is probably much simpler than that. I think they prefer bribery to bad PR. It's less expensive.