Sean Hannity and Oliver North Head Military Charity Mired In Scandal

[Madeline]

When conservative commentators begin eating their own, you know that something is up.

Debbie Schlussel is a reasonably well-known conservative commentator with a large radio and online following. While I have always found her to be over the top – particularly with her anti-Muslim rhetoric – she certainly has the respect of the conservative community. So when she broke a story a few days ago accusing Sean Hannity’s charity of being a ‘scam’, this naturally got my attention.

Schlussel claims that the Freedom Concerts conducted by Hannity and the Freedom Alliance (whose chairman is Oliver North) have been an unconscionable con. The concerts are supposed to be raising money to pay college tuition for the children of soldiers who have died in our foreign wars and to provide needed funds to help out soldiers severely injured in battle. Clearly, a noble goal and a charity well worth helping out.

Or is it?

Check out what Schlussel has discovered in researching the organization for the past year-

But it’s all a huge scam.

In fact, 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 ferry the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style. And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show, 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. Moreover, despite written assurances to donors that all money raised would go directly to scholarships for kids of the fallen heroes and not to expenses, has begun charging expenses of nearly $500,000 to give out just over $800,000 in scholarships.

Via debbieschlussel.com

Sean Hannity in serious military charity scandal - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - True/Slant

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

 

[asterism]

Worth watching. This is a situation where anyone who puts themselves out there like that must prove their innocence. Hannity needs to open up all the books to the public.

 

[rdean]

Worth watching. This is a situation where anyone who puts themselves out there like that must prove their innocence. Hannity needs to open up all the books to the public.

He's not gonna do it. It's a mystery to me why the Republican base thinks their "idols" care anything about them. At least when Obama passed along tax breaks for the rich, it was because they were holding millions of unemployed hostage.

As long as Hannity or any other right wingers don't "break the law", they are more than willing to screw over as many Americans as possible. Check out what right wingers on this very board say. The "values" have spread through the entire party, like a festering rot.

 

[California Girl]

Color me shocked. A lefty dissing a conservative. I'm dumbfounded.

FYI: When there is actual, hard evidence of wrongdoing, I'll happily condemn Hannity - Hannity is an ass... but a left winger writing a bullshit piece about a conservative does not make it fact. Facts are my friends. They are clearly a foreign concept to Mad-o-lyin.

 

[Stephanie]

OMG, not this shit AGAIN.

Is there anything a lefty WON'T ATTACK, now it's Charities.

 

[geauxtohell]

Color me shocked. A lefty dissing a conservative. I'm dumbfounded.

FYI: When there is actual, hard evidence of wrongdoing, I'll happily condemn Hannity - Hannity is an ass... but a left winger writing a bullshit piece about a conservative does not make it fact. Facts are my friends. They are clearly a foreign concept to Mad-o-lyin.

Schlussel is hardly a liberal. Frankly, she comes across as a vindictive harpy that is trying to take out the knees of a perceived competitor. Also, check the date on this. It's almost a year old. This isn't breaking news and I think due diligence was done afterwords and ruled "no foul".

I wouldn't doubt if the majority of the "money" wasn't going to the intended source. Hannity is a douche like that. However, under law, only a small percentage of the $ needs to go to charity to be called a charity event.

Either way, even without money involved, that chicken-shit Sean Hannity has been milking other men and women's honorable service to promote his own show for a long time.

Did I mention that he's a douche?

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

This accusation has been made before and I don't believe anything was ever made of it.

Regarding Oliver North, I don't know why he is such a hero to conservatives. The guy was guilty as sin in the Iran Contra scandal.

 

[Trajan]

When conservative commentators begin eating their own, you know that something is up.

Debbie Schlussel is a reasonably well-known conservative commentator with a large radio and online following. While I have always found her to be over the top – particularly with her anti-Muslim rhetoric – she certainly has the respect of the conservative community. So when she broke a story a few days ago accusing Sean Hannity’s charity of being a ‘scam’, this naturally got my attention.

Schlussel claims that the Freedom Concerts conducted by Hannity and the Freedom Alliance (whose chairman is Oliver North) have been an unconscionable con. The concerts are supposed to be raising money to pay college tuition for the children of soldiers who have died in our foreign wars and to provide needed funds to help out soldiers severely injured in battle. Clearly, a noble goal and a charity well worth helping out.

Or is it?

Check out what Schlussel has discovered in researching the organization for the past year-

But it’s all a huge scam.

In fact, 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 ferry the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style. And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show, 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. Moreover, despite written assurances to donors that all money raised would go directly to scholarships for kids of the fallen heroes and not to expenses, has begun charging expenses of nearly $500,000 to give out just over $800,000 in scholarships.

Via debbieschlussel.com

Sean Hannity in serious military charity scandal - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - True/Slant

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

has anythiing new surfaced because this is a year old....(?)

 

[California Girl]

When conservative commentators begin eating their own, you know that something is up.

Debbie Schlussel is a reasonably well-known conservative commentator with a large radio and online following. While I have always found her to be over the top – particularly with her anti-Muslim rhetoric – she certainly has the respect of the conservative community. So when she broke a story a few days ago accusing Sean Hannity’s charity of being a ‘scam’, this naturally got my attention.

Schlussel claims that the Freedom Concerts conducted by Hannity and the Freedom Alliance (whose chairman is Oliver North) have been an unconscionable con. The concerts are supposed to be raising money to pay college tuition for the children of soldiers who have died in our foreign wars and to provide needed funds to help out soldiers severely injured in battle. Clearly, a noble goal and a charity well worth helping out.

Or is it?

Check out what Schlussel has discovered in researching the organization for the past year-

But it’s all a huge scam.

In fact, 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 ferry the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style. And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show, 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. Moreover, despite written assurances to donors that all money raised would go directly to scholarships for kids of the fallen heroes and not to expenses, has begun charging expenses of nearly $500,000 to give out just over $800,000 in scholarships.

Via debbieschlussel.com

Sean Hannity in serious military charity scandal - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - True/Slant

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

has anythiing new surfaced because this is a year old....(?)

It takes Mad-o-lyin a while to catch up with the real world.

 

[Stephanie]

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Mar. 20 2010 -


gotta have that dose of hate no matter how old I guess.

 

[edthecynic]

When conservative commentators begin eating their own, you know that something is up.

Debbie Schlussel is a reasonably well-known conservative commentator with a large radio and online following. While I have always found her to be over the top – particularly with her anti-Muslim rhetoric – she certainly has the respect of the conservative community. So when she broke a story a few days ago accusing Sean Hannity’s charity of being a ‘scam’, this naturally got my attention.

Schlussel claims that the Freedom Concerts conducted by Hannity and the Freedom Alliance (whose chairman is Oliver North) have been an unconscionable con. The concerts are supposed to be raising money to pay college tuition for the children of soldiers who have died in our foreign wars and to provide needed funds to help out soldiers severely injured in battle. Clearly, a noble goal and a charity well worth helping out.

Or is it?

Check out what Schlussel has discovered in researching the organization for the past year-

But it’s all a huge scam.

In fact, 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 ferry the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style. And, despite Hannity’s statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show, 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. Moreover, despite written assurances to donors that all money raised would go directly to scholarships for kids of the fallen heroes and not to expenses, has begun charging expenses of nearly $500,000 to give out just over $800,000 in scholarships.

Via debbieschlussel.com

Sean Hannity in serious military charity scandal - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - True/Slant

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

This scam was exposed many years ago and ignored by the sheep. It's just like traitor North's Contra scam. Most of the money went into North's Swiss account and very little went to the Contras.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Worth watching. This is a situation where anyone who puts themselves out there like that must prove their innocence. Hannity needs to open up all the books to the public.

They already have:
Charity Navigator Rating - Freedom Alliance
From the link:

Note that Schlussel does not accuse Hannity or the charity of doing anything illegal.

So the problem with the charity is what again?

 

[Madeline]

Mea culpa for not seeing the piece was somewhat old.

As for the validity of the allegations....any tax exempt organization in the US has to file an informational return with the IRS and make a copy of that available to any taxpayer. I cannot imagine that a charity which distributes as little as 7% of donations to its intended targets is legal....mayhaps it is. If people like CG could read, they would know such things.

It is certainly not ethical to solicit donations for severely wounded veterans and the children of the fallen and then spend the money on lavish accommodations for Hannity's people, at least not in the eyes of this liberal.

 

[California Girl]

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Mar. 20 2010 -


gotta have that dose of hate no matter how old I guess.

Check the guy's profile page:

Who I admire: Barack Obama.

What makes my teeth itch: Sarah Palin.


Yep, there's a balanced, unbiased view..... Sometimes I wonder if Mad-o-lyin has some problem that stops her from asking really basic questions about what she reads. Gawd Almighty, that is one dumb woman.

 

[edthecynic]

This accusation has been made before and I don't believe anything was ever made of it.

Regarding Oliver North, I don't know why he is such a hero to conservatives. The guy was guilty as sin in the Iran Contra scandal.

That's exactly why he's a hero to the CON$ervative Brotherhood.

 

[Sunni Man]

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

Oliver North is a traitor who should be in prison.

And stripped of all rank and retirement benefits.

As an Officer he had sworn to Defend the Constitution.

Yet, he knowingly and criminally circumvented it and dishonored his uniform.

Amazingly, many misguided Americans hail him as a hero and a patriot.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Remember when Jesse Jackson used money to buy his mistress a home from the Rainbow/Push coalition money?

Yeah, you could say Hannity's charity uses too much money for overhead but I'd say the same about most charites, including Joe Kennedy's heating oil for the poor charity.

I'm not defending Sean Hannity, I don't watch his how or listen to his radio program, but when you look at the bottom line, that's how most charities operate.

 

[California Girl]

Mea culpa for not seeing the piece was somewhat old.

As for the validity of the allegations....any tax exempt organization in the US has to file an informational return with the IRS and make a copy of that available to any taxpayer. I cannot imagine that a charity which distributes as little as 7% of donations to its intended targets is legal....mayhaps it is. If people like CG could read, they would know such things.

It is certainly not ethical to solicit donations for severely wounded veterans and the children of the fallen and then spend the money on lavish accommodations for Hannity's people, at least not in the eyes of this liberal.

CG prefers to source from facts, not fiction.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Oliver North involved in something shady? Who could have predicted that?

Oliver North is a traitor who should be in prison.

And stripped of all rank and retirement benefits.

As an Officer he had sworn to Defend the Constitution.

Yet, he knowingly and criminally circumvented it and dishonored his uniform.

Amazingly, many misguided Americans hail him as a hero and a patriot.

We're kinda' getting off topic here but I figure Ollie was just a fall guy. Do you really think a Lt.Col. could have run the Iran Contra affair all by himself?

Neither do I.

 

[Stephanie]

Gotta love the BACKBEDDLING..

ok, I was wrong, BUT still.