The Reverend Al Sharpton peddled a reality TV show starring himself as a “Judge Judy” clone with an accused drug kingpin as a business partner according to testimony at the trafficker’s trial.
A convicted felon now on trial for allegedly heading a large cocaine trafficking ring once worked with Rev. Al Sharpton to develop a TV show in which the civil rights activist would have starred as “Judge Sharpton,” according to testimony yesterday in Brooklyn federal court.
Details about the proposed daytime program featuring Sharpton in a Judge Judy-type role emerged at the trial of James Rosemond, the hip-hop manager who is facing life in prison for his alleged role in a cross-county narcotics ring that generated tens of millions of dollars through the sale of thousands of kilos of cocaine.
Rosemond’s business dealings with Sharpton were detailed yesterday by government witness Tony Martin, who worked closely with Rosemond at Czar Entertainment, the management company that prosecutors contend served as a front for the cocaine operation (and through which drug profits were laundered).
The 31-year-old Martin, pictured above in a video still, was questioned by prosecutor Una Dean about several Rosemond investments and business projects. At one point, Dean asked Martin about “Czar doing a project with Al Sharpton.” Martin answered that Rosemond “tried to get Al Sharpton a judge, a judge TV show.” Though Sharpton was not actually a jurist, Martin testified that “the way they can maneuver it through TV, he can get him a TV show as Judge Sharpton.”
Martin, who has pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with the cocaine ring, said that the bid for a “Judge Sharpton” show came in 2009 and was not successful. Last August, Sharpton debuted as host of MSNBC’s daily “PoliticsNation” program.
Sharpton as a judge makes about as much sense as putting Chris Matthews on Jeopardy. Oh, wait…
Truly, Mr. Rosemond is a typical Sharpton associate so this is nothing to get our bloomers in a twist over. The good reverend received “about $10,000” from Rosemond as a “donation or a contribution.” Rosemond also paid to have Sharpton come to Los Angeles, paid for his hotel, and hired a limo to chauffeur him around town.
Rosemond has also been implicated in the murder of a man connected with a rival hip-hop group. Why Sharpton would entertain doing business with a thug like this is a question some of his Democratic party colleagues should be asking him before they give him a prominent speaking role at the convention later this summer.
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