Black Churches Retract Call for Al Sharpton To Be Suspended Over Harris Campaign Payments: ‘We Regret the Misstep’

Screenshot via MSNBC

A coalition of Black churches retracted their previous call for Al Sharpton to be suspended from MSNBC following reports of $500,000 in payments from Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign to Sharpton shortly before an interview.

Rev. Anthony Evans, the president of the National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) released a statement on Thursday apologizing for the original call for an investigation into Sharpton by his network. Evans said the group was unaware that the payments were for get out the vote efforts by Sharpton’s National Action Network. MSNBC previously said they were unaware of the two $250,000 payments from the Harris campaign.

Evans said their original call for a suspension was “innappropriate” and the group regrets the “misstep.”

The statement from Evans reads:

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) acknowledges that we were unaware of the existing contract or agreement with Black organizations including Rev. Sharpton’s National Action Network to conduct non-partisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts ahead of the election. We recognize the critical importance of this work. After further research, we have found no evidence that any candidate paid for support or endorsements, nor that NBC was engaged in any partisan political activities related to Vice President Harris’ appearance on PoliticsNation. Furthermore, we understand that Vice President Harris has made previous appearances on PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton over the years.

As a result, NBCI is formally retracting its call for Rev. Sharpton to be suspended from MSNBC. This call was inappropriate, and we regret the misstep.

Moving forward, NBCI is committed to working collaboratively with all groups to foster greater understanding and unity toward the greater good of Black people in America. Our shared mission must center on advancing equity, empowerment, and opportunity for our communities. While we remain steadfast in our call for transparency, we believe it is essential to approach these matters with a spirit of partnership and progress.

The revelation that the Harris campaign had paid Sharpton raised concerns as the large sums of money preceded an interview between the pair.

In the NBCI’s original statement, they accused Sharpton of putting a “moral stain on the integrity of the Black Church.”