Did the New York Times quietly connect Attorney General Designate Loretta Lynch to Al Sharpton for a reason ?
Timing by the Times — Given the fact that Loretta Lynch Hearings are upcoming, or soon will be; isn't it time for everybody to look into Al Sharpton’s relationship to Loretta Lynch before those hearings begin — that should include GOP Senators and their investigators too, shouldn't it ?
Doesn’t anybody have a problem with somebody like Al Sharpton, who, if nothing else, is among the country’s top 1% of tax dodgers, sitting-in with the President on decisions involving the selection of the nation’s top prosecutor ?
The New York Times has done a lengthy and detailed retrospective on Al Sharpton, whose influence at the White House in Washington and at City Hall in New York City has never been higher (See “As Sharpton Rose, So Did His Unpaid Taxes” by Russ Buettnernov, 11-18-14, NY Times
[http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/nyregion/questions-about-al-sharptons-finances-accompany-his-rise-in-influence.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0]). Woven through this entire Times article are various indicators of Al Sharpton’s growing political influence, together with a rundown of his continuing financial problems, his history of certain legal problems, and a specific focus on the tax problems arising from Sharpton's tangled finances. However, it should be noted that there also was an item buried inside that article that mentioned Mr. Sharpton's connection to Loretta Lynch and his possible involvement in Lynch's nomination for Attorney General.
NY Times Connects Tax Dodger Sharpton to the selection of Loretta Lynch for AG
Almost in the middle of the piece by Russ Buettnernov was this. “...He [Sharpton] was among a small group at the White House when Mr. Obama announced his nomination of Loretta E. Lynch, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, to become the next attorney general. This is very important information coming from the Times; because so far, the few media outlets other than the New York Times, which have suggested that Sharpton had been influential in the selection of Ms. Lynch to be the U.S. Attorney General, are of a conservative or more extreme right-wing bent ( See “Did Al Sharpton Just Pick The Next Attorney General?” by Patrick Howley, 11/7/14, Daily Caller [http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/07/did-al-sharpton-just-pick-the-next-attorney-general/]); see also “AG Pick Puts Spotlight on Sharpton as White House ‘Insider’” by Jack Kenny, The New American [http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/19501-ag-pick-puts-spotlight-on-sharpton-as-white-house-insider]).
Why is a Top One-Percenter of Tax Cheats picking the next Attorney General ?
Doesn’t anybody have a problem with somebody like Al Sharpton, who, if nothing else, is among the country’s top 1% of tax dodgers, sitting-in with the President on decisions involving the selection of the nation’s top prosecutor ?
One has to wonder why there has been so little media interest in the likes of Al Sharpton and his influences on the President, Mayor deBlasio and now the prospective Attorney General of the United States. Maybe, it's because Al Sharpton's hosting gig on MSNBC makes him part of the media and it's a good ole boy thing.
Much more needs to be done and said about Sharpton in due course, but for now the Sharpton-Lynch nexus needs to be looked into ASAP.
The Media, AND the Senate Judiciary Committee and its staff investigators need to be on top of the Sharpton-Lynch -- Sharpton-Lynch THING
Loretta Lynch isn't in or of the media, her background is very much in the legal communities associated with big time banking and civil rights. so shouldn't the the various tentacles of of the media be fully entwined with the same Sharpton-Lynch connection(s) from the perspective of fully looking into the background of the next Attorney General of the UNited States ? And even if the press and other media don't see fit to look into the Sharpton-Lynch stuff; certainly, the Senate Judiciary Committee and its investigators should do so before the hearings on the Loretta Lynch nomination begin; that's so they will be able to ask her the right questions about her relationship to Sharpton once it does.
17 comments:
Sharpton skips out on 4 million dollars of taxes and Loretta Lynch knows nothing.
Sargent Schultz would be proud
Loretta Lynch's connection to the Reverand Al Sharpton is through Rachel Noerdlinger who previously worked for the National Action Network and more recently at City Hall for the Mayor's wife. Ms. Noerdlinger attended a private women's elite college as an undergraduate and while there came into contact with a well-known Black sorority. Loretta Lynch in her undergraduate years was also a part of that sorority. Strong bonds were (as is customary in sororities) formed and later Noerdlinger became the family confident or "go-to" person for Abner Louima after he was viciously attacked by the convicted felon and former police officer Justin Volpe. Loretta Lynch recall tried that case as a federal prosecutor after it was passed off by the local D.A. Lynch had reason to have frequent contact with Noerdlinger during that time. They remain today close friends at least professionally.
CNN just said sharpton settled tax issues in 2009 and is on a payment plan.
The checks in the mail !!
The MSM is now focused on Sharpton, but nody is talking about Lynch. Dosent add up. When Obama was conducting a meeting in White House on Lynch, Sharpton was one of the few in the room.
None of the press has asked Lynch if she plans to address the Sharpton tax issues?
If loretta Lynch never did anything about sharptons tax fraud as the US Attorney why would she do it as attorney general?
RESPONSE: THE "A SISTER IS A SISTER IS A SISTER" EDITION
THE RACHEL NOERDLINGER CONNECTION SHOULD BE ANOTHER SPEED BUMP IN THE ROAD FOR LORETTA LYNCH
The RN connection for LL might become a bigger problem than Sharpton.
Noerdlinger might be the real explanation why nothing has happened to Sharpton over the tax evasion that he should have been charged with by Lynch. In the case of Sharpton, that explanation is not an excuse.
People have not mentioned how this Sharpton matter might also have an IRS-scandal component. There might be a "friends list" that goes along with an "enemies list".
The Republican Senators on Judiciary need to look into both the Lynch-Sharpton case as well as all of the Lynch-Noerdlinger connection(s).
Rachel Noerdlinger taking an unpaid leave of absence from City Hall is only a good thing for Loretta Lynch's nomination and approval in the Senate. Noerdlinger is now a non-story and no one in the media is rushing to dig up anything else on her which would presumably have continued had she stayed in her position. Loretta Lynch has for a while now been an active supporter of the NY Coalition of 100 Black Women which includes Hazel Dukes, Virginia Montague, Nicole Paultrie Bell (who Lynch met with after her fiance was killed by a police officer)and others. The NYC of 100 BW is not in itself a fringe group or radical (think Knights of Columbus sans the feathers, lace, and plummage) but it is extremely leftist. And is comprised of many women of color who are highly political and also family members of those killed by cops - and those wanting to reform the police. Also, remember RN was the go-to person in the Eric Garner case for the family. She sat in the front pew at the funeral representing the Mayor and was present at the March with other City Hall personnel. Al Sharpton had an unprecendented opportunity to meet with Loretta Lynch in August for over a half hour regarding the Garner case. Lynch at the time made no promises on a federal inquiry if Donovan drops the ball but the likely scenario is that given no police officer gets convicted in state court going to Lynch was important. The President one can assume does not want Lynch in the position of having to make those kinds of decisions now before her Senate approval. So what does this mean? Lots of ties to the grassroots community in NYC for Lynch.
So is Lynch going to finish the job started by Holder to criminalize every white cop in America, who maybe kills a black criminal in the course of his duties, regardless of what the local District Attorneys or State's Attorneys or Grand Jusries say ?
UPDATE: THE "WHAT IS THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DOING ABOUT THE 'LORETTA LYNCH-RACHEL NOERDLINGER' CONNECTION ?" EDITION
A CHECK EARLIER TODAY ON GOOGLE CHROME SHOWED THAT THIS POST ON "GALEWYN MASSEY... FOUNTAINHEAD" WAS THE TOP DESTINATION FOR COMBINED "LORETTA LYNCH" "RACHEL NOERDLINGER" SEARCHES
How can it be that nobody in the press or the rest of the main stream media sees a story in any of this Lynch-Noerdlinger-Sharpton stuff ?
Errol louis column in Dailky News says Sharpton hired former US Attorney Zachary Carter to represent him in negotiations with IRS.
If I were a good investigator/reporter (and I am not)I would begin by looking at Rachel Noerdlinger's sealed 2007 arrest record. Not to be confused with her 2009 arrest for assault and subsequent quick dismissal of that arrest. This isn't meant to bash Ms. Noerdlinger in any way. Nor is it intended to cast a negative light on the AG nominee. The public however has a right to a complete and thorough vetting of anyone who will be serving them in the capacity of AG.
RESPONSE: THE "NOT A VERY GOOD INVESTIGATOR/REPORTER" EDITION
THE COMMENT ABOVE HAS BEEN FULLY RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL TECHNICOLOR BRILLIANCE --- SORRY FOR ANY DELAY, THAT'S BECAUSE I AM NOT REALLY A VERY GOOD "INVESTIGATOR/REPORTER"....
NOW, BACK TOO RACHEL NOERDLINGER
I don't know what the comment-maker-above's source of information might have been. However, Noerdlinger's own personal history of being Al Sharpton's spokesperson, her covered over cases and sealed records, and her long-time personal association with a convicted felon... Well, I'm shocked, I tell you, SHOCKED !
What I'm shocked about is that supposedly responsible people like Mayor deBlasio and Loretta Lynch didn't keep this person, Noerdlinger, further away than they have up until recently.
What I am more shocked about is that the press and the rest of the MSM hasn't done much heavy lifting on this. Especially the who, what, where and why of her interactions with Loretta Lynch, President Obama's Attorney General Designate.
Again, it is incumbent upon the GOP Senators on the Judiciary Committee and their staffs to dig into the Lynch-Noerdlinger-Sharpton connection(s). The comment maker above is 100% correct in saying "The public [ ] has a right to a complete and thorough vetting of anyone who will be serving them in the capacity of AG."
Sometime during 2003 Rev. Al Sharpton conducted a very public trip to the country of Liberia. A number of high profile Black public intellectuals including Cornel West went with him. Rachel Noerdlinger, at the time, Sharpton's "brains" facilitated the entire trip including connecting some attendees with a man named "Brian" in Brooklyn who would serve to help obtain the necessary paperwork for travel. A reporter who traveled with the group has written and published about this. Loretta Lynch by this time had left Brooklyn and gone into private practice in D.C. She returned to Brooklyn in 2010 to the Eastern District. But by then relationships and ties had been forged . . . all roads lead back to Brooklyn they say.The NYT's will have a positive spin piece on Ms. Noerdlinger this Sunday- probably to be posted tomorrow. The point: We need to know that the AG nominee has not been bought by anyone or any group. A proper and full vetting of her work in Brooklyn and her collaborative efforts with other law enforcement agencies in Brooklyn will help the public to understand who she is and assure us she is the best person for this position.
BACKFILL: THE "RECENT CENTER OF GRAVITY" EDITION
RACHEL NOERDLINGER FORCED TO TAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM THE MAYOR DEBLASIO-CHARLANE MCCRAY TEAM ONLY ABOUT ONE WEEK AGO
This is the story that broke Mayor deBlasio's resolve to stick with his wife, Chirlane McCray's top aide, Rachel Noerdlinger, through thick and thin: (See "Embattled de Blasio aide’s son arrested on trespassing charges" by Shawn Cohen, Jamie Schram, Leonica Valentine [with additional reporting by Larry Celona, Tara Palmeri, Harry Schulman and Laura Italiano], 11/15/14, NY Post [http://nypost.com/2014/11/15/embattled-de-blasio-aides-son-arrested-on-trespassing-charges/]). That article contained the following information:
"The teenage son of controversial mayoral aide Rachel Noerdlinger spent nearly 24 hours in jail after being busted in Washington Heights Friday night on a misdemeanor trespassing rap. *** Khari Noerdlinger, 17, of Edgewater, NJ, had been hanging out in the lobby of a West 164th Street building with three pals — and a bottle of Hennessy cognac — when cops with the NYPD’s Manhattan Gang Unit arrived in response to a report of men loitering, according to law-enforcement sources...."
[Identities of others involved in Post article]
"Noerdlinger spent a long stretch in a Central Booking holding cell awaiting arraignment. He was finally sprung Saturday night after a Manhattan Criminal Court judge agreed to dismiss his charges in six months, providing he serve a day of community service and not get rearrested in the meantime. *** Rachel Noerdlinger, the $170,000-a-year chief-of-staff for Mayor de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, learned of the arrest late Friday via a phone call from cops. *** At some point Saturday morning, she called her boss, de Blasio, 'Just as an FYI,' the teen’s defense lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, told The Post. *** The mayor “obviously took no action,” Lichtman said. *** 'It’s upsetting for any mother of a son who’s just been charged with a crime,' the lawyer said. *** The 6-foot-1, 215-pound teen has already suffered much reflected infamy in recent months, as his mother comes under continuing fire for failing to disclose to city officials that the boyfriend who shares an Edgewater, NJ, apartment with her and her son is a convicted killer and drug trafficker....
WELL PUBLICIZED RANTS AGAINST THE POLICE AND PRIOR INCIDENTS
As background, the Post gave the following information: "News accounts revealed that both the beau, Hassaun McFarlane, and Khari have ranted against cops online, with the teen tweeting in August that 'pigs always killing people.' *** Khari, then aged 14, was also believed to be in the back seat of his mom’s pot-smoke-filled Mercedes when McFarlane was pulled over by Edgewater cops and busted for possession in 2011. *** It was McFarlan[e] who drove Khari away from Manhattan criminal court Saturday night — in the same Mercedes. *** Khari was also Rachel’s official excuse for not moving to New York City — she claimed the kid had been “injured” in a car crash — despite his later playing linebacker for his high school football team...."
"When Khari was arrested, cops asked him for the name of a relative. Khari was clearly reluctant to give his mom’s number. First he gave cops his girlfriend’s number, then McFarlane’s. Told neither were appropriate, he gave them Rachel’s number. *** Once reached by cops, Rachel asked if Khari would be released with a summons. Told her son remained under arrest, an exasperated Noerdlinger answered: “Why are you calling me?” and hung up, a source said. *** It’s unknown why the teen was in Manhattan on Friday. He was arrested at around 9 p.m."
BACKFILL: THE "JIVE TALKIN' JIVE TURKEY" EDITION
MIXED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A CNN REPORT ON AN ATTEMPT BY AL SHARPTON TO PUSH BACK ON A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT SHARPTON'S BACK TAXES PROBLEMS, ARE MENTIONS OF SHARPTON'S KNOWN ASSOCIATIONS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA, RACHEL NOERDLINGER AND LORETTA LYNCH
ARE BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN GIVING EVERYBODY A "HEADS UP" ABOUT THINGS TO COME
Both the title and the main thrust of the piece indicate that the reporting is about Sharpton's tax problems as mentioned in the Times, and Al Sharpton's less than candid explanation as to why there is no story there (See "Al Sharpton rails against report that he owes $4.5 million in unpaid taxes" by Ashley Killough, 11/19/14, CNN [http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/19/politics/al-sharpton-finance/]). The mentioning of Sharpton's associations with Obama, Noerdlinger and Lynch doesn't tie-in to the main discussion about Sharpton's remarks in response to the New York Times' recent dredging up of his tax problems, including millions of dollars in liens, nor with any aspect of the taxes themselves or Sharpton's deal(s) to make payment to the IRS.
At first glance, the CNN report's inclusion of some of Sharpton's recent activities with or on behalf of those associates mentioned in the article might seem disjointed and even gratuitous. However, the New York Times did virtually the same thing, and at greater length, in its piece about Sharpton's taxes. So maybe what CNN is doing is the first ripple of an emerging pattern in the coverage of Sharpton.
Perhaps both the Times and CNN want to make the point that the government's treatment of Sharpton and his tax problems with the IRS are to some extent driven, or at least influenced, by his access to the President and other higher-ups in the White House and the NYC Mayor's Office; and if somebody like Loretta Lynch should become AG, Sharpton's access, influence and special treatment would be an even bigger part of the tax story. Or maybe, it's something completely different.
I'm no investigative reporter, but if I were I might look into the Combahee River Collective and its participants. For any elite Black feminist intellectual who attended Wellesly in the 70's (Chirlane McCray) or Harvard (Loretta Lynch) this group was the breeding ground for becoming radicalized and understanding community organizing. Again, this is not meant to disparage any group or organization in any way. But in light of the extreme racial tensions nationally between law enforcement and the public it would seem appropriate to explore where our leaders or nominated officials developed their ideology and world views.
Combahee River Collective - the Lady Jaspers they are not.
Interestingly and purely coincidental, the young woman with whom Rachel Noerdlinger had that unseemly altercation and subsequent arrest over the McFarlen person interned and then worked at another law enforcement agency in Brooklyn. She was a Skadden law fellow which is a program for young women who didn't have the means to explore legal careers so this gave them that option.
This is too Aesopean for me
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