Fox’s Ed Henry Asks Josh Earnest About Al Sharpton’s Unpaid Taxes

Amid questions about President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration and the departure of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during Monday’s White House press briefing, Fox News’ Ed Henry slipped in a question about Al Sharpton’s unpaid taxes.

Referencing a New York Times report that claims Sharpton, an MSNBC host and sometime adviser to President Barack Obama, owes the federal government up to $4.5 million in back taxes, Henry asked Press Secretary Josh Earnest if the president is “concerned” about the situation.

While Earnest insisted he had not read the stories about Sharpton’s taxes, he said, “the question you are asking does illustrate the kind of important and justified restrictions that there are on political interference with any sort of tax investigations or tax enforcement.” He added, “I am confident that this administration is allowing whatever enforcement procedures are underway to be carried out.”

“But an adviser to the president should pay his or her taxes?” Henry asked as a follow-up.

“I think every American should pay his or her taxes,” Earnest replied.

For his part, Sharpton has disputed the Times report, downplaying the situation and suggesting that the accusations against him are politically motivated.

Watch video below, via C-SPAN:

[Photo via screengrab]

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