Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and former presidential candidate, began working as a confidential FBI informant in the 1980s after he was caught on tape discussing cocaine deals with a drug kingpin, the New York Post reports.
Sharpton cooperated with authorities and helped the feds bring down the notorious Genovese crime family, according to hundreds of pages of court filings and FBI memos.
Sharpton, who denied in an interview that he was an informant, acknowledged he helped the FBI beginning in 1983.
Records indicate Sharpton used a customized Hartmann briefcase outfield with a recorder, which he used during 10 face-to-face meetings with Joseph (Joe Bana) Buonanno, a Gambino family member.
Sharpton, who was referred to as CI-7 in the reports, also was paid for his help, according to the records.
The information led to wiretaps to bug two Genovese family social clubs, three cars used by mobsters and many of their phones.
Sharpton responded with surprise when reached by the New York Post.
“I was never told I was an informant or I had a number or none of that,” he said. “Whether or not they used some of the other information they got during that period for other purposes, I don’t know.”
