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Al Sharpton says the New York Post should know better than to accuse him of political pay-to-play.

On Sunday, Rupert Murdochs New York Post took aim at the Rev. Al, charging the grandstanding civil rights leader with muscling companies like Sony Pictures out of hush money for his National Action Network, in order to make racial discrimination accusations go away.

But according to Sharpton, the Post article somehow forgot to mention that their 83-year-old Svengali has played ball with him, too.

In February 2009, when Sharpton was leading protests outside the Posts Midtown headquarters after it ran a cartoon that many New Yorkers felt compared President Obama to a chimpanzee, Sharpton says he met with the Posts parent, News Corp., to hammer out a deal.

I met with Murdoch, he issued a statement, and we let it go, Sharpton said. After that they formed this diversity board where we were supposed to have input, then the board fell apart.

Sharpton insists he wasnt paid for his consultancy on that board, but he estimates it was four or five years ago, right around 2009, that News Corp. started buying $5,000 to $10,000 tables at his NAN events. He also denies a connection between those transactions and the end of his protests, arguing that News Corp.s contributions to his organization date back to around 2007.

When you talk about a company wanting to attend your banquet and mingle, they might buy a table or a ticket, Sharpton told Confidenti@l. That doesnt mean its a shakedown.

Sharpton insists that just like any other company, News Corp., the parent company of the Post and Fox News, pays to attend NAN events and network with prominent black businessman and politicians including Obama.

Sharpton also points out that around 2009, Fox commentator Bill OReilly donated $25,000 to his organization and that it hasnt bought OReilly amnesty from criticism.

In their Sunday takedown, the Post further contends, For more than a decade, corporations have shelled out thousands of dollars in donations and consulting fees to Sharptons National Action Network. What they get in return is the reverends supposed sway in the black community or, more often, his silence.

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Al Sharpton says N.Y. Post held talks with him on race issue