Hannity’s Freedom Charity A 'Huge Scam’: Right Wing Blogger

[Purveyor]

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.

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 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.

More...

http://rawstory.com/2010/03/conservative-columnist-hannity-charity-a-huge-scam/

[Fridays Child]

1. Shocking.

Not.

k/r

[NeedleCast]

2. I have an ex-girlfriend who worked at Freedom Alliance

She mostly agrees with the blogger that it's all a sham. As an event organizer there, she put a lot of this stuff together and said that all the high end hotels, jets, SUVs, etc are completely true accusations.

[quiet.american]

3. Ruh-roh. nt

[Juche]

4. I'm shocked

Well, not really.

[NightWatcher]

5. oooo Toby Keith's gonna put a boot in Sean's ass

[we can do it]

14. That Dick Is Probably In On It Too

[KingFlorez]

6. Doesn't surprise me at all

And with one of his own calling him out, he could have real problems.

[Bozita]

7. Rachel should invite Ms. Schlussel to her show.

[dancingme]

8. The "Hannitization" of charity

what a con man Hannity is.

[thereismore]

9. Greed. They can't help it. Who'd have thought that clean all-american Hannity boy

would do that.

[dancingme]

10. Let's get this on Twitter

Say what you will about Twitter, but when something is a Trending Topic on Twitter it travels very fast.

[louis-t]

11. I said before, repugs don't do charity unless they get paid.

Not really 'charity' under those terms, is it?

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Ya know, I looked at what Charity Navigator had to say about them and...

couldn't believe it was the same organization-- CN gave them 4 stars and claims over 81% goes to program expenses.

But, and I gotta give Schlussel credit here-- she brings that up in her piece and "program expenses" doesn't mean actual charitable handouts, but seems to include "expenses in administering the program." Like a Gulfstream to get Hannity and family to the concert.

(Last I looked, G-5's went for around $25,000 an hour, and that's if you owned a share in one.)

This is Olly North's operation, and one wonders if he cares that his buddy Hannity is stealing from the troops, of just cares that he's stealing so much he'll get caught and embarass everyone.

[DainBramaged]

13. Did anyone ever think that this pig's greed wouldn't overcome him?