Fox News host Sean Hannity came out swinging Monday after The Guardian published a report on several companies linked to Hannity that have purchased millions of dollars worth of real estate over the past decade.
“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,” Hannity said in a statement released by Fox News. “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.”
The Guardian’s report noted that two apartment buildings purchased by the Hannity-linked companies obtained loans backed by the Housing and Urban Development Department. The current HUD secretary, Ben Carson, has appeared on Hannity’s show, but the Fox News host said that he never personally communicated with HUD about the loans.
“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,” he said in the statement.
Hannity also appeared to take issue with The Guardian’s description of the LLCs used to purchase the properties as “shell companies.”
“The LLC’s are REAL companies that spend real investment money on real properties,” the Fox News host said in a statement.
The Guardian’s report detailing Hannity’s real estate investments followed the revelation last week that he is a client of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer.
