This is one of the least surprising things ever:
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.
In fact, it’s so predictable that I basically did predict it. Prior to me knowing anything about Sean Hannity’s real estate holdings, I said that it was inevitable that he’d made some very poor investment decisions.
Sean Hanniity has way more money than he knows how to use productively.
Everyone Sean Hannity knows is a venal tax-averse creep.
Ergo, Sean Hannity has been convinced to do some very stupid things with his money.
— Martin Longman (@BooMan23) April 18, 2018
I don’t know that Hannity was a witting participant is this fraud. It’s possible he may even have been victimized by this Jeff Brock character. What I do know is that the crowd he travels in is always looking for a loophole and a get-rich-quick scam or some kind of tax avoidance scheme or a government program they can hijack. So, a guy like Hannity who has more money than he could ever spend and basically no education to speak of is a natural mark for countless scoundrels. Convince him to let you handle or invest his money, and you’re on the gravy train.