Sean Hannity Defends Real Estate Deals

Following a report that contends he bought property with government assistance and then failed to disclose it, conservative commentator Sean Hannity on Monday said it was merely the "latest fake news attack."

"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. "The fact is, there 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."

After the Fox News host last week was named as a client of Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the Guardian on Sunday reported that records link Hannity to a group of more than 20 shell companies. Those companies, registered in Georgia, spent at least $90 million on more than 870 homes in the past 10 years.

According to USAToday, the most controversial of those purchases: Hannity reportedly bought two large apartment complexes in Georgia, and the purchases were funded with mortgages obtained with help from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Hannity didn't disclose his dealings with HUD when HUD Secretary Ben Carson appeared on his show last year.

"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," Hannity said Monday. "I had no role in, or responsibility for, any HUD involvement in any of these investments."

He noted that the requirements for securing the loans were "met, fulfilled and inspected."

A deed for Sean Hannity's mansion in Nassau County, N.Y., revealed that Hannity was the managing member behind a limited liability company titled "SPMK IV NY, LLC." (The Nassau County Clerk's Office)

The LATimes reports  Hannity's personal business dealings, and their mixture with his on-air media commentary, have recently been thrust into the public spotlight after President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, disclosed that Hannity was one of his other clients.

Hannity, who had been using his media platform to bash the criminal investigation into Cohen, said that his legal discussions with Cohen were "almost exclusively about real estate."

But it's hard to pin down what real-estate matters Hannity might have been discussing with Cohen, simply because Hannity has accumulated so much real estate. A review of corporate records revealed more than 20 holding companies with "SMPK" names registered at Henssler Financial's address in Kennesaw, Ga.