Sharpton's Associates on Tape saying he Hooked them up with Pepsi Deals

• Originally published in The New York Post April 21, 2005

By IAN BISHOP and DEBORAH ORIN Post Correspondents

WASHINGTON - Two accused con men who raised big bucks for the Rev. Al Sharpton's presidential campaign were hoping he could get them access to "billions" in PepsiCo funds - but they got left high and dry, wiretaps show.

Indicted Philadelphia powerbroker Ronald White and Detroit fast-food king La-Van Hawkins claim on the wiretaps - recorded by the feds in a massive Philly corruption probe - that Sharpton was setting up huddles with honchos at Pepsi, where Sharpton serves on a minority advisory board and is paid $25,000 a year.

White and Hawkins, who were two of Sharpton's biggest fund-raisers, also spoke about having him open doors for them with one of the city's most powerful union leaders, Dennis Rivera of health-care workers local 1199.

White and Hawkins were overheard talking about using the then-Democratic candidate's connections to see "the president of Pepsi, Donna" - for a possible deal they believed could make them rich.

"Let's say they [Pepsi] probably have some minority mandates . . . We could take insurance, we could take printing, we could take their pension fund . . . If you just broke off, like, you know, 10 percent of that s- - -, man, like you talking billions of dollars," White says on a March 31, 2003, tape.

In an April 8 conversation, Hawkins says that Sharpton has claimed he's already convinced the Pepsi chief to invite them to breakfast.

"I said to him, 'Rev., Tuesday and Wednesday.' He came back and said Donna said let's have breakfast Monday morning . . . He's hooking that s- - - up for the president, Donna, on Wednesday," Hawkins says.

It is unclear who the "Donna" at Pepsi was, since the soft-drink giant has never had a president named Donna, a spokesman for the company said. The firm's only female president is North America chief Dawn Hudson.

Pepsi spokesman Dave DeCecco said company executives don't recall any contact or meeting. "It never took place . . . We have no business relationship with La-Van Hawkins, Hawkins Foods or Ronald White," he said.

Sharpton denied ever promising to set up a meeting with the head of the soft-drink company.

"There was never a meeting set up with the president [of Pepsi] because they [Hawkins and White] never had the financing. I wanted to see the deal financed before I set up a meeting," Sharpton told The Post.

He also denied any knowledge of a plan to get a piece of minority set-asides from Pepsi for Hawkins and White, and said the deal in question involved purchasing fried-chicken outlets.

Sharpton stressed that he was a paid consultant to Hawkins, whom he has known a long time, receiving $25,000 a year from the fast-food entrepreneur. He said, "Why would they have to give to my campaign to get me to do favors? I was already on the payroll as a consultant."

However, the tapes show Hawkins and White repeatedly discussing the fact that they'd raise money for Sharpton if he would get them in the door with potential investors - not that he was doing the work as a consultant.

The wiretaps were released at Hawkins' federal corruption trial in Philadelphia, now in the hands of the jury. White died of cancer before the trial. The tapes prompted an ongoing FBI spinoff probe of Sharpton's fund-raising. White and Hawkins, who said they raised $140,000 for Sharpton's campaign, also hoped the candidate's ties to Rivera could pay off for them. Hawkins says he even offered Rivera a ride on his private jet.

"I was bringing your boy Dennis [Rivera] back with me 'cause he's in Dallas . . . He's been with Al, traveling with Al's ass," says Hawkins on May 8, 2003, as he laments that a tornado kept his plane from getting to Texas to pick them up.

Hawkins and White are also recorded talking about their interest in a particular 1199 "fund" on the tapes, although the fund isn't specified. On June 20, 2003, Hawkins says it's urgent that they see Rivera fast because the labor leader has "got to make a decision," since his union will "renew their plan as a matter of fact on the 5th."

Local 1199 spokeswoman Jennifer Cunningham said, "It's like fantasyland. Dennis was never in Dallas. There was no plane ride. He doesn't remember any meeting."

She said 1199's pension fund doesn't make private investments, and noted that the union - one of the most politically potent in the city - backed Howard Dean, not Sharpton, for president.

Sharpton told The Post he didn't recall any discussion of getting Hawkins and White in to see Rivera.

By Aug. 21, 2003, the two men seem to have thrown in the towel on getting Sharpton to deliver.

White says, "I ain't heard from him," and Hawkins replies, "I knew you wouldn't."

Sharpton's voice is heard briefly on one tape when Hawkins, wondering about progress, calls him.

Sharpton says, "I'm on the radio, call in a half-hour" - and then hangs up.

Hawkins says, "Damn. Mother- - - -er said that so fast, man, I didn't even hear it."

The wiretaps also provide new details about Hawkins and White maneuvering to get $100 million from the city pension fund.

"Sharpton said to me, 'Hey, man, you ain't never told me that you needed money from the [New York] pension funds. I could have [unintelligible] and got you money from the pension funds," Hawkins says on a March 31, 2003, tape.

"I said to him on Friday, 'Al, I don't understand why you're making this lifting so heavy, man. OK? . . . I can't bring people to the table if you can't deliver."

In the March 31 wiretapped chat, Hawkins discusses with White a possible upcoming meeting with City Comptroller William Thompson. Hawkins says that he was promised "a hundred million" but then frets, "The bottom line of this thing is, is that you know if these mother- - - -ers are bull- - - - -ing or not."

Thompson met White at Sharpton's request on May 8, 2003, in the comptroller's office. A spokesman for Thompson says the comptroller rejected a proposal made by White for the city to invest in "hedge funds" because such investments are barred by law. Asked why Thompson honored Sharpton's request for a meeting, Thompson's spokesman, Jeff Simmons, said, "The comptroller has an open-door policy to meet with people who want to discuss business with the city."

The very next day, May 9, the FBI videotaped Sharpton receiving an unknown amount in contributors' checks for his campaign from White in a room at the Waldorf-Astoria - and demanding $25,000 more.

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La-Van Hawkins

Age: 44

Job: Self-made fast-food millionaire

Home: Atlanta mansion

Charged: Indicted, tried on municipal-corruption counts in Philadelphia "pay-to-play" scandal; awaiting jury verdict

Background: Grew up in Chicago projects as a gang leader with a $2,000-a-day cocaine habit

Connections: Plan to open Burger Kings with Black Entertainment Television’s Bob Johnson announced at the White House by then-President Bill Clinton

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Ronald A. White

Age: Died at 55

Job: Politically connected bond lawyer

Home: Philadelphia

Charged: Indicted on municipal-corruption counts in Philadelphia "pay-to-play" scandal (died of cancer before trial started)

Background: Raised in projects; was gang leader

Connections: Close ties to Philly Mayor John Street

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THE SHARPTON TAPES - Excerpts from wiretaps of accused con men

On their frustration that Sharpton couldn’t get the letter

Hawkins: 'This what I told Sharpton on Friday, I said, ‘Al, look man, Why is it so motherf- - -ing difficult to get a letter? I could pick up the phone right now and have Ron White . . . get me a letter. It ain’t nothing difficult about this s- - -.' [March 31, 2003]

On what they were hoping to get from New York City

White: "A letter that say that the City of New York is committed to . . . ."

Hawkins: "A 100 million dollars to LLH [Hawkins’ company]." [March 20, 2003]

On how to handle Sharpton

Hawkins [to White]: 'You need to handle Sharpton . . . Here’s what I’m saying to you, Ron. Me and you got a great situation, good cop, bad cop, OK? . . . So what I’m saying to you is me and you can handle this motherf- - -er ’cause we got two heads against his one . . . So we could cover his motherf - - -ing weaknesses. Because he’s exposed his weaknesses to both me and you." [April 3, 2003]

On what they promised to do for Sharpton

Hawkins: 'Just like I told [Sharpton] . . . ‘I done brought you the person [Ron White], all you gotta do is to deliver. All you gotta do is walk him [White] in to [New York City union leader] Dennis Rivera. Walk him in to [New York City Comptroller] Bill [Thompson]. Once this guy [White] knows you can do what you say, man, you won’t have no problem in raising money.’’ [March 31, 2003]

On what they wanted Al Sharpton to help them get from Pepsi

La-Van Hawkins: 'What can the president of Pepsi f- - -ing do?'

Ronald White: 'For us? . . . Let’s say they probably have some minority mandates . . . We could take insurance, we could take printing, we could take their pension fund . . . Now just, just, I mean if you just broke off like, you know, 10 percent of that s- - -, man, like you talking billions of dollars.' [March 31, 2003]

The two fund-raisers talked up the Rev. Al Sharpton as someone who could make them rich - but he told The Post he never set them up with the company.

Source: Transcripts of federal wiretaps that became public in connection with a Philadelphia corruption trial