Report Looks At Sean Hannity's Real Estate Dealings, Undisclosed Relationship With HUD

Hannity

SEAN HANNITY's relationship to embattled attorney MICHAEL COHEN came under increased scrutiny SUNDAY (4/22) with the publication of a report in THE GUARDIAN detailing HANNITY's real estate investments involving a $90 million, 870-home portfolio of foreclosed homes purchased with the help of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  HANNITY did not disclose his relationship with HUD when he praised HUD Secretary Dr. BEN CARSON on his shows and interviewed CARSON on his TV show last JUNE.

The report by JON SWAINE alleges that HANNITY holds the properties in over 20 shell companies, all named with a variant of a name based on the initials of HANNITY's children.  The purchases were funded by HUD loans first obtained under the OBAMA administration and later increased under the TRUMP administration; the shell companies are registered to a firm, HENSSLER FINANCIAL, owned by BILL LAKO, who has appeared on HANNITY's radio show as a financial expert and wrote an anti-Special Counsel ROBERT MUELLER article for HANNITY's website, and in neither case disclosed his ties to HANNITY.

Last week, when HANNITY was exposed as the "third client" of COHEN, known as President TRUMP's personal attorney and characterized as a "fixer" who handles embarrassing situations for his clients, the PREMIERE NETWORKS and FOX NEWS CHANNEL host said that he had only "brief conversations" with COHEN about real estate and did not pay COHEN other than perhaps handing over "ten bucks."  HANNITY was also highly critical of President OBAMA for the foreclosure rate during his administration but did not disclose that he had invested in foreclosures at a discount while criticizing the President for them.

HANNITY responded with a statement accompanied by a headline calling the GUARDIAN report "fake news" yet confirming in passing that he indeed made the investments and obtained HUD loans to finance them, saying, "It is ironic that I am being attacked for investing my personal money in communities that badly need such investment and in which, I am sure, those attacking me have not invested their money. The fact is, these are investments that I do not individually select, control, or know the details about; except that obviously I believe in putting my money to work in communities that otherwise struggle to receive such support.

"I have never discussed with anybody at HUD the original loans that were obtained in the OBAMA years, nor the subsequent refinance of such loans, as they are a private matter. I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments. I can say that every rigorous process and strict standard of improvement requirements were followed; all were met, fulfilled and inspected.

"The LLC’s are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties."

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