Sharpton: Lynne Patton 'Was Standing There as a Prop That Was Not Allowed to Speak'

Thursday on MSNBC, network host Al Sharpton criticized Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) for bringing Donald Trump’s African-American staffer Lynne Patton to the House Oversight Committee hearing for Michael Cohen as evidence the president was not racist.

Sharpton said, “First of all, to be in the room where you know you are not going to be sworn in, you can’t speak, you can’t even get to a microphone, you’re nothing but a prop.”

He added, “She couldn’t testify. She was standing there as a prop that was not allowed to speak, was not brought there to speak. I wish she would step forward and let some of the congresspeople question her. Because I would ask her, have you ever seen black executives in the Trump organization? I have, for over 30 years gone back and forth with meetings with Donald Trump, fighting over issues, standing up to him. I’ve been in Trump Tower any number of times. I’ve never seen one black executive in the C suite. Michael Cohen was there. He was one that would set up the meetings, try to talk to us. Lynne Patton ought to be challenged why we’ve never seen a top official in the Trump organization.”

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