Rev. Al Sharpton has refused to apologize for claiming that a 15-year-old black girl was raped by a group of white men in 1987, allegations a grand jury found to be false.
How he is still a national figure after that hoax is a mystery but Sharpton is not backing down 35 years later.
Tawana Brawley was a 15-year-old African-American girl who alleged that she had been kidnapped and raped by a group of white men including law-enforcement officers.
She claimed they smeared feces and wrote racial slurs on her body.
Sharpton, as per usual when TV cameras are around, inserted himself into the story to hog the limelight.
However, a grand-jury investigation concluded her story was a hoax.
During an appearance on the PBS show “Firing Line” with Margaret Hoover on Friday night, Sharpton refused to apologize for the hoax.
Sharpton said:
“I don’t have any different understanding because a grand jury is not a trial.
“She deserved to have a day in court.
“Let us bring the case to court.
“And this prosecutor would not do that.”
He argued that Brawley did not mislead him:
“Her lawyers is who I talked to,” he said.
“I’m not going to ask a 15-year-old girl all the details that you said.
“I have no reason to feel she misled the lawyers.
“I believe that it never went to court, and therefore we do not know what evidence was presented that backed up what he presented to a grand jury.”
“35 years later, how do you understand what happened to Tawana Brawley?” @MargaretHoover asks @thereval.
“I have no evidence that I was misled,” Sharpton says.
Sharpton rejects calls to apologize for rape accusations that a grand jury deemed a lie.
“What am I apologizing for?” pic.twitter.com/wrDb1ZRvJd
— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) January 13, 2023
Sharpton added that the grand jury “is not the justice system.”
“I don’t have any different understanding because a grand jury is not a trial,” Sharpton said.
“My position was that there was this allegation from this young lady that was really questionable behavior by some that she accused.”
Sharpton added: “There’s a famous saying by a judge in New York: You can indict a ham sandwich if you want to.”
“35 years later, how do you understand what happened to Tawana Brawley?” @MargaretHoover asks @thereval.
“I have no evidence that I was misled,” Sharpton says.
Sharpton rejects calls to apologize for rape accusations that a grand jury deemed a lie.
“What am I apologizing for?” pic.twitter.com/wrDb1ZRvJd
— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) January 13, 2023
