Rev. Al Sharpton getting paid off by Comcast?

Rev. Al Sharpton, known for his outspoken activism on race issues, is getting sued by Byren Cohen for allegedly accepting large amounts of money from Comcast (who owns MSNBC) to silence him for Comcast's lack of engagement in African-American media. MSNBC has kept his show on air despite plummeting ratings. I find it interesting that corporations will pay off the loudest--albeit questionably credible--sources to keep a good image.

"The lawsuit goes on to say that Comcast made large cash "donations" to obtain support for its acquisition. The money includes $3.8 million to Sharpton and his National Action Network. The money, it's charged, was meant to pay Sharpton to endorse the NBCU deal and divert attention away from discrimination. As for Sharpton's MSNBC gig, the complaint says, "Despite the notoriously low ratings that Sharpton's show generates, Comcast has allowed Sharpton to maintain his hosting position for more than three years in exchange for Sharpton's continued public support for Comcast on issues of diversity."