The New York Times reports MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” host Al Sharpton has criticized a Times report asserting Sharpton has $4.5 million in state and federal tax liens outstanding against him and the for-profit business he controls. “It just is not true,” Sharpton said during a news conference Wednesday in Harlem. “We’re talking about old taxes. We’re not talking about anything new.”
The Times reports Sharpton insisted he was current on his taxes, and had paid down tax liens:
The accuracy of Mr. Sharpton’s assertion that the amount he owes the federal government is much lower than the $3.6 million shown in records cannot be verified. A spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service said federal law prohibited the agency from divulging any details about individual taxpayers. As for the state tax liens, Mr. Sharpton’s assertion that he has paid them down conflicts with information provided by state officials. State authorities filed tax liens against Mr. Sharpton in 2008 and 2009, and another in 2010 against a for-profit business he controls, Revals Communications, totaling $695,000. But a spokesman for the State Department of Taxation and Finance said the amount due had actually increased, to $916,000.
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Earlier, MSNBC declined to comment on the Times story when contacted by TVNewser.