Sean Hannity’s Freedom CONcert Scam

Debbie Schlussel Blog Post ^ | March 18, 2010 | Debbie Schlussel

[TRY ONE]

For the last several years, Sean Hannity and the Freedom Alliance “charity” have conducted “Freedom Concerts” across America. They’ve told you that they are raising money to pay for the college tuition of the children of fallen soldiers and to pay severely wounded war vets. And on Friday Night, Hannity will be honored with an award for this “Outstanding Community Service by a Radio Talk Show Host” at Talkers Magazine’s convention.

But it’s all a huge scam.

[mcmuffin]

Out of my three favorite talk show hosts (Rush, Mark, Glenn), Hannity is fourth.

You're more than generous in my book!!

[mombonn]

This article ought to finish either Shlussel or Hannity. Be interesting to see which it is.

A most cogent observation.

[Chaguito]

I don’t get your point. They are a 501(c)(3) public charity. The ticket price is deductible to the extent of that part with goes to nonprofit purposes. The corporation has the responsibility to tell the ticket purchaser how much that amounts to.

The operative definition of “nonprofit” is that there can be no distribution of profits to directors or other stakeholders.

Sorry if this doesn’t address what you were saying.

[CajunConservative]

I agree she’s going to have some ‘splainin’ to do. I can’t stand her.

[Cold Heat]

I was trying to explain that unlike a charity, Hannity's tours have only one aspect that relates to a Charity and that is fund raising activity which is his net profits. He does not run a charity, he donates his profits to one. He may well be associated with both, but the tours are separate. One must separate the two activities.

A Charity that uses up everything it takes in in donations on expenses would be a pretty lousy charity. However, that is not what the tour is. The tour is the fund raising device and is a different organization from the charity..

See my point?

[Churchillspirit]

Recently (within the last week) Sean had a caller to his radio show who accused him of not doing anything for the military. Sean told him about the Freedom Concerts and said that he paid all his own expenses and that all the money raised went to his military charity.

I hope that is the case.

[SoCalPol]

Debbie Schlussel has been a Sarah Palin basher. Not often
a reliablle source period.

I have been to two Freedom concerts here in San Diego.
Watched interviewed by Sean, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter,
Fred Thompson, John Voight, Fred Thompson, and Ollie NOrth

Debbie sounds like she has some personal problems.

[machogirl]

I can understand the costs for the concerts. Not every business that is associated with the concerts, from extra law enforcement, to venue, to venue employees, are going to donate their salaries. It may well cost 80% of what their gross is, to cover expenses. That would still be 20% that the Freedom Alliance wouldn’t have for scholarships.

[grateful]

Here are key figures I picked out from the 2008 return. It seems to me that a lot of the money is being invested for future scholarships.

Total Revenue: 8,781,431
Total Expenses: 6,745,717 (This includes payouts of scholarships)

Revenue Less Expenses: 2,035,714 (I bet they invest this.)

Total Assets end of year: 19,895,454
Total Liabilities: 634,880


Net Assets or Fund Balances: 19,260,574

Investments: 15,909,391
Temporarily Restricted Assets: 15,671,088

(Definition of Temporarily Restricted Assets: Funds whose use is restricted by outside parties until some event occurs. For example, a not-for-profit organization may have received donated assets that are restricted by the donor until some time period has elapsed.)

I'm not an accountant, so I don't know, but I think the whole truth isn't being told and the author may be selectively pointing out "facts" and ignoring others to skew the real picture.

[SouthTexas]

The 2007 Charity Navigator also notes there is $5 mil in the bank.

Not a major fan of Hannity, or even a minor fan for that matter, but if you’re going to quote numbers, use them all.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

They aren’t things Debbie Schlussel made up.

How do you know?

[machogirl]

I think it probably would be acceptable to Sean if Debbie “donates” to the Freedom Alliance in addition to an apology.

[howkn]

Sean IS a great American. This loser who is a mole is trying to change the subject of Obama, Ried and Pelosi’s upcoming demise.

They are free falling into being known as the worst political team of thugs this weekend. This loser is a underground Conservative Hater.

And Sean WILL NOT BLINK. Sean will stay focused as usual. Sean Hannity is a Great American and will NOT take his eye off the ball which is taking down Obama, Reid and Pelosi as they dive head first into destroying the Dem party this weekend.

Go Sean...Ignore this chick with an obvious liberal agenda.

[Cold Heat]

Yes, I said before that I'm not a big Hannity fan. I don't watch his shows and turn him off when his radio show comes after rush. He irritates me. But........I must defend him and his fund raising against attacks made here because they are uncalled for. He has a big job responsibility on these tours to try to make a profit. The norm is that they don't often succeed as expected. His fund raising cannot be put in the same box with a charity. It costs lots of money to make a profit in a entertainment venue. Very few are successful and he is one that is.

The charity is the organization he donates the profit to. The two have different roles and cannot be held to the same financial standards on expense ratios. That would be nuts!

[RaceBannon]

oh, it was a huge event

it was the same day he announced he had his own forum

in fact, he did it like this:

Ya Know, I cant stend those freepers anymore, so many of them all saying nasty things about me, I just hate it. No one goes there anymore anyways, it is not the site it is supposed to be.

So, I want you all to know, I started my own website, my own new blog, its called Hannity.com (or whatever it is...)

and that is that, he said it like that, maybe in the same breath

All because maybe 7 people said bad things about him

Me and Mark Levin went at it for a while online (I like Mark, but was was wrong on this issue but he was loyal to his friend, Sean)

[Tamar1973]

Hey Debbie! Great timing! Just when conservatives need all the help we can to marshall the forces to defeat Obamacare, you decide to drop this made up bombshell.

Her ego is as big, if not bigger than Hannity's. "Hannity won't return my calls!!" Call the WAAAAAmbulance.

[Tamar1973]

If schlussel, or whatever her name is, is publishing bad information, Sean will have every right to sue her butt off. There’s no way he can ignore this.

Why bother? Since he's a public figure, he'll have a hard time suing her.

[Cold Heat]

A restricted asset could be a bond or U.S Note, or a time CD deposit. In any case, it has a time restriction on it.

[Cold Heat]

Yeah, I remember.....I too took on Levin until I tired of it.LOL(his minions beat the crap out of me)

[howkn]

Get over it. Big whoop. Everyone knows Sean, Anne and Rush review FR daily. They are Freepers themselves on the down low after all.