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Title: Hannity’s Freedom Charity A 'Huge Scam’: Right Wing Blogger
Source:
RAW STORY
URL Source: http://rawstory.com/2010/03/conserv ... t-hannity-charity-a-huge-scam/
Published: Mar 19, 2010
Author: Muriel Kane
Post Date: 2010-03-19 12:51:36 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 2448
Comments: 8
Columnist and blogger Debbie Schlussel claimed on Friday that Hannity is profiting from a charity that raises money for severely injured US soldiers and the children of troops killed in action, and she described the Freedom Alliance as "a huge scam." "Less than 20% -- and in two recent years, less than 7% and 4%, respectively -- of the money raised by Freedom Alliance went to these causes, while millions of dollars went to expenses, including consultants and apparently to ferret [sic] the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style," Schlussel writes. "And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show," she continues, "few of the children of fallen soldiers got more than $1,000-$2,000, with apparently none getting more than $6,000, while Freedom Alliance appears to have spent tens of thousands of dollars for private planes." Schlussel cites an anoinymous source who she says told her that the promoter of Hannity's fundraising "Freedom Concerts" figured the cost of a Gulfstream jet, a "fleet" of luxury SUVs, and high-end hotel suites for Hannity's entourage as amounting to over $200,000 per event. "To make matters worse," Schlussel continues, "Hannity deliberately lied to his radio audience about how much money was going to the kids of the fallen American soldiers. On May 28th of last year, Hannity told his listeners, 'Our new sponsor, Boca Java, just pledged $30,000 to the Freedom Concerts. That will provide a full one-year college scholarship for a kid of a fallen soldier.' In fact, Freedom Alliance’s tax forms indicate it has never given any student more than $6,000 in a school year, and usually it’s been far less." This is not the first time that Schlussel has gone up against Hannity. In 2007, she accused him of "ripping off" her work without credit on his Fox News program. In 2008, she renewed the plagiarism charge and also challenged Hannity to "come clean" on his "close relationship" with Neo-Nazi Hal Turner. These latest charges, however, are far more serious. Conservative blogs have already taken note of Schlussel's accusations. John Tabin at The American Spectator writes, "This is disgusting. Apparently Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts ... are scandalously inefficient." A lengthy comment thread at conservative website Free Republic has garnered a spectrum of comments, ranging from "This is a LIE!!!" and "I don't think she is quite right in the head" to "I have always considered Hannity to be a whore" and "HUGE AND SERIOUS!!!" Liberal websites have also been quick to jump on Schlussel's claims. Media Matters -- which Schlussel once described as "Nazi-infested" -- has double-checked Freedom Aliance's tax returns and confirms that Schlussel's "numbers seem to check out." The site cautions, however, that "Freedom Alliance's mission is broader than scholarships and aid to injured soldiers (a fact Schlussel overlooks)," and suggests that Schlussel's claims need to be more closely examined. "Editors at The New York Times and the Washington Post have said in recent months that their papers need to do a better job of picking up on stories right-wing web sites are pushing," Media Matters notes. "Schlussel's investigation into Hannity and Freedom Alliance would seem like a good place for the Post and Times to do some digging -- unless, of course, they only intend to follow up on conservative attacks on liberals."
Fox News commentator Sean Hannity is routinely mocked by the left for his conservative positions, but now he has become the target of far more serious accusations from a fellow-conservative.
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#1. To: All (#0)
I posted an article of this some 2 1/2 years ago: How Much Does Hannity's Freedom Concert Really Benefit Children Of Fallen Soldiers?
What a fucking douchebag. I hope they make him personally pay up all that was ripped off. Or better yet, throw the fucker in jail.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
not that i'm a fan of Hannity, but charitynavigator.org, which is an independent group that rates charities, gives freedom alliance 4 stars and said that over 80% of the money they raise goes back to programs.
Being a Republican means you get to choose your own reality.
I was just reading some fr thread and that charitynavigator stuff was posted. I thought the 80% for program expenses wasn't what they paid out, but their expenses to run the organization ... which I now see isn't correct, it's the amount spent on things the charity exists for. I wonder if that would include perks for Hannity, or if that would be in a different category. We can wait and see.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
It is not necessarily what is paid out but what is allocated directly for the programs which could still for for travel, staff salary, etc etc. I do volunteer fundraising work with the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation and it has a BIG issue with how charitynavigator rates the charities. If CBTF gives to a hospital for research, which it does with about 25% of its money, that doesn't get reflected in "Program Expenses"...CBTF has little paid staff and allocates almost all of its money to relevant brain and spinal chord issues.
Day 26 of Packrat refusing to register here. Day 24 of Boofer The One Eyed Wonder Bot refusing to answer: When is Blackwell going to have the recount? Jan 30, 2006 ... by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot...
I don't trust the author. That stated, if there is any truth to this, Hannity needs to be burnt to the ground over it. I suspect we'll know in the first hour of his show today. This is getting a lot of play in the various forum I contribute to...not just FR or DU or Huff Puff. If Hannity takes it head on, then I'm pretty confident its just a political drive by shooting due to his taking the 'show on the road' in the lead up to November's political armageddon. If he doesn't...well, for us on the Right...'Houston, we have a problem'. We'll see.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
I saw that as well. Still going to keep an open mind as to the 'gist' of these charges.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
There are PDF tax returns which supposedly show how much the charity gave to soldiers and their families and how much was spent on other shit. I downloaded them but deleted them unread. I can't be bothered to find out. I haven't liked hannity since 10:30's on Sunday nights in NY. I think that's when he was on.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
(Edited)
#3. To: Abu el Banat, Brian S (#2)
#4. To: go65 (#3)
#5. To: Abu el Banat (#4)
#6. To: Brian S (#0)
#7. To: go65 (#3)
#8. To: war (#5)
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