Dershowitz confronts Hannity: 'You should have disclosed your relationship with Cohen'

The Hill ^ | 04/16/2018 | Brett Samuels

[GIdget2004]

Attorney and frequent Fox News guest Alan Dershowitz criticized host Sean Hannity on Monday for not disclosing his relationship with Michael Cohen, President Trump's attorney, during his frequent discussions about Cohen in recent weeks.

Dershowitz, a defender of Trump amid his legal woes, was brought on to discuss former FBI Director James Comey’s Sunday night interview on ABC News, but first addressed the Monday revelation that Hannity is the previously unnamed client of Cohen.

“I really think you should have disclosed your relationship with Cohen,” Dershowitz said, calling it a “complicated situation.”

“It was minimal,” Hannity responded.

“I understand that, and you should’ve said that,” Dershowitz, an opinion contributor for The Hill, replied. You were in a tough position because, A, you had to talk about Cohen, and, B, you didn’t want the fact hat you had spoken with him to be revealed.”

“I have the right to privacy,” Hannity interjected. “It was such a minor relationship.”

“You should have said that,” Dershowitz said.

Hannity was revealed to be Cohen's client during a hearing Monday afternoon related to last week's FBI raids of Cohen's office and home. Cohen's attorney only shared Hannity's identity after a judge ordered him to.

Hannity is a staunch ally of Trump’s, and frequently defends the president on his Fox News show. He was fiercely critical of last week’s raids on Cohen’s office, using it as a launching point to attack special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

[robroys woman]

Nothingburger. Why do I care who Cohen’s clients are? Why should I care who Hannity’s attorney is?

[proust]

Dershowitz fanboys on suicide watch. You knew he was a snake before you let him in.

[Political Junkie Too]

By this reasoning, if a journalist cites an "anonymous" source in a news story and then later has that source on his show for another subject, does this suggest that the journalist has to reveal that prior communication?

Where does this end? Isn't it a bit self-serving to, on the one hand, claim protecting a source, and then on the other hand declaring that one has to disclose even minor incidental contacts of client privilege?

-PJ

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Dershowitz showing his true “progressive” colors. Watched it last night and couldn’t believe how, I thought, Derscho was attacking Hannity.

[Souled_Out]

All Trump supporters can expect the same level of respect for their rights. America has no justice, we have Sessions.

[Fantasywriter]

Hannity is behind the times. No conservative Trump supporter has the right to privacy. Supreme authority Mueller had decreed it.

[babble-on]

Would you care in an alternate universe if Maddow went on TV night after night railing about how Hillary’s lawyer was being treated unfairly, and then it turned out Maddow had the same lawyer and never mentioned it?

[daler]

"Why do I care who Cohen’s clients are?"

I don't.

But I'm beyond enraged that some asshat leftist hack Clintonite judge thinks she (and the rest of the world) has a right to know.

[KC Burke]

The entire leftist media is in incestuous relationships with the Democrat power structure and never bother to mention the depth of their relationships.

[CharleysPride]

Geez, Sean, are you going to let that torture-loving paedo lecture you?

Screw off, Dershowitz

[TallahasseeConservative]

Did David Rhodes who is the head of CBS News, disclose that his brother is Ben Rhodes who was the DNSA for Obama, before they reported on the Obama White House? Did Claire Shipman of ABC News disclose that she was married to Jay Carney, Obama’s Press Secretary before she reported on anything involving Obama? The hypocrisy is rampant.

[SERKIT]

So what else is Hannity suppose to say? - No retainer, no invoice, no payment - he’s a dude Hannity talked to occasionally. So what? Is an interviewer supposed to disclose every conversation at every cocktail party? The liberal media would take up more time on the introduction/disclaimers of their guests that there would be no time to interview their guests. Does Dersh disclose his cozy relationships with those who are the topics of interviews he has done? I don’t think so.

[dforest]

AD is all for letting the hag get off with no consequences.

I do not trust this snake and neither should anyone else.

[EagleUSA]

A bunch of media crap. Hannity has a private life and it is nobody’s business as long as it is legal. As a client, he is protected by his client relationship with Cohen.

And who cares what Dershowitz thinks? None of his business either.

[rigelkentaurus]

And just how many commie people in the media have spouses in the Rat party, work for various Sorus groups, work in conflicted situations in the government, work as lobbyists, etc. Does anyone ever remember anyone in the media saying anything even once about these conflicts?

[liberalh8ter]

Wait a minute. Was Cohen exclusive to Trump and Hannity was allowed to use him as a favor? Any attorney I’ve ever had any dealings with did not provide me with a list of their clients nor did they ask me to submit to them a list of people that I know. If Hannity and Trump use the same tailor or shoe store, is Hannity required to disclose that, as well? I don’t understand where Dershowitz is going with this.

[proust]

Still waiting for this guy to disclose what he was doing on each trip on the Lolita express.

[Delta 21]

The only way you are gonna get any attorney/client privilege these days is when you are alone in the same cell together, both of you on trumped up charges and the hidden microphone is on the fritz!

[ealgeone]

It’s an attempt at deflection by the LEFT. It’s what they do.