Sean Hannity’s real estate venture bought houses through a property dealer who was involved in a criminal conspiracy to fraudulently obtain foreclosed homes, according to records reviewed by the Guardian.
In 2012, a shell company linked to the Fox News host bought 11 homes in Georgia that had been purchased by the dealer, Jeff Brock, following foreclosures. Brock transferred the properties to corporate vehicles that sold them on to the Hannity-linked company at a profit.
Brock pleaded guilty in 2016 to federal charges of bank fraud and conspiracy for his role in an operation to rig foreclosure auctions between 2007 and 2012. He was sentenced to six months in prison and had to pay more than $166,000 in fines and restitution.
Some of the houses sold on to the Hannity-linked firm in 2012 had been acquired by Brock from banks later named by prosecutors among his victims. But the justice department declined to identify specific properties sold in the rigged auctions. Hannity has not been accused of any wrongdoing and there is no evidence he was aware that Brock was involved in fraud.
read more at UK Guardian
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I don’t buy a lot of this…
first, innocent until proven guilty [even the article states “[he] has not been accused of any wrongdoing and there is no evidence he was aware that Brock was involved in fraud”]
Second, he purchased 11 properties “from”–not “through”–Brock, towards the end of Brock’s failed tenure in 2012, three transactions removed from seeing the prior owner. The original owner may have suffered an emergency, and we need to be sensitive to that yes, but more likely, that owner did not have the financial wherewithal to support a mortgage to begin with…supported by a helicopter government through grants and programs
Third, what’s wrong with being a capitalist? …not a single person is obligated to give every dollar of their income over to the government through taxes. (see Judge Learned Hand: “Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.” 1934).
If his purpose was ONLY for tax evasion or avoidance, that’s one thing, and he has a tax obligation. But if it was for a more noble purpose–such as “rentals for low income families”(as the 4/23/18 meandering article–far more about Gunderson than Hannity–states), then he needn’t worry about lessening his tax exposure for his best benefit.
Fourth, Congress, not Presidents, are to blame for setting up the foreclosure downfalls for the last decade and earlier. Presidents propose, Congress approves, and Presidents execute. I was a personal witness to mortgages being granted (closing almost 50 weekly) from the 1980’s to present day, and I remain baffled by what I saw with couples wavering on their income ability to pay a mortgage, with bankruptcies abounding, leaving American taxpayers holding the bag.
I was not the loan officer, merely the closer, but I would always emphasize the mortgage terms on failure to pay….looming large since the Carter years granting easy mortgage terms to whomever wanted one, just to garner votes and support a sagging building economy.
This article continues an attack on Hannity..I see no facts attributable to any wrongdoing, just unsupported and misleading innuendo…I am not naive to think there aren’t any, as this is a tricky business. But until I see more pertinent facts reported, I support Hannity.
Prove me otherwise, and I will GLADLY change my opinion–I am that honest a person. But I judge fairly
This is more like the crying Brian Williams harangue of yesteryear, more trying to influence and shape than actual reporting of the news.
If you judged fairly, and ended up supporting Hannity, then you should sue your school. Which is not funded or enforced by any Capitalist principles btw. I hope you didn’t;t get free stuff and support others who did too.
Kamala Harris was the AG during “mynewchins” run I believe,… very sketchy
Hannity is a graduate of Trump University, which certainly encouraged “creativity” at foreclosure auctions.
I haven’t touched a foreclosure without speaking directly to the owners who are vacating , prior to any auction. This way, the entire thing can be handled with dignity for the parties involved.
The auctions are viper pits, and here, it is about a dozen buyer agents all with their phones out during the auctions taking approval from some supervisor representing the buying group. It’s a vulture festival on crack.
People can make a lot of money, and the temptation to rig the auctions is palatable to the ambitious capitalist looking to make a mark. I once witnessed a rep from a buyers group passing out leaflets regarding a property right at the tax auction, and everyone thought he was a county official, and nobody from the county said squat. The flyer discouraged folks from bidding on the property by threatening them with fire code enforcement. Many of the buyer groups are Lawyers and Long Island is a common place of origin.
Here in upstate NY, Long Island is known as a no go zone, even the truckers hate having to make deliveries,.
It is a place where there are two classes of people. The entitled ultra rich and snobby, and the servant class.
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