Fox host Sean Hannity has been under fire for not disclosing his legal relationship with President Donald Trump’s associate Michael Cohen. Hannity also has a legal relationship with Trump-linked attorneys Jay Sekulow, Victoria Toensing, and Joseph diGenova. Hannity hosted them (and Cohen) a total of 83 times on his Fox News show Hannity without disclosing the relationships.
Michael Cohen
Trump connection: Michael Cohen is Donald Trump’s longtime associate, who has been described as Trump’s “personal lawyer and fixer.” He is currently under federal criminal investigation.
Hannity connection: On April 16, Cohen’s lawyer disclosed in court that Hannity was Cohen’s client. Hannity has since attempted to downplay their relationship. Despite widespread criticism of Hannity’s actions, Fox News reportedly has no plans to hold Hannity accountable for his failure to disclose his relationship with Cohen.
Cohen has appeared as a guest on the Fox show Hannity 15 times in the past five years. Additionally, Cohen was mentioned or discussed during Hannity’s show 11 times. Cohen has also been on Hannity’s radio show twice and has been discussed on Hannity’s radio show at least six times. While Hannity has said things such as “we’ve been friends a long time” and “we’re friends … I know you” to Cohen, giving some insight into their relationship, Media Matters found no instances on Hannity where the host disclosed his legal ties to the lawyer. Here are the times Cohen appeared or was discussed on Hannity’s Fox News show:
4/16/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
4/12/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
4/11/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
4/10/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
4/9/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
1/11/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
1/9/18 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
4/28/17 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
4/3/17 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
1/18/17 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
1/12/17 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
1/11/17 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
1/10/17 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
1/5/17 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
8/19/16 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
8/4/16 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
4/18/16 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
4/8/16 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
3/4/16 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
1/4/16 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
10/5/15 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
8/24/15 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
8/10/15 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
8/4/15 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
7/28/15 - Fox News - Mentioned Cohen
7/24/15 - Fox News - Hosted Cohen
Jay Sekulow
Trump connection: Jay Sekulow announced on June 9, 2017, that he was joining Trump’s legal team. He has been on the team since then and is currently the primary attorney for Trump in regard to the Russia probe.
Hannity connection: In April 2017, after a far-right troll suggested that the CIA “targeted” Hannity for surveillance during the election “because of his perceived ties to Julian Assange,” Hannity claimed that he had hired lawyers Jay Sekulow and Joseph diGenova to investigate and pursue a civil action. Additionally, The Atlantic reported that an Oklahoma radio station received a cease-and-desist letter on May 25, 2017, after right-wing radio host Debbie Schlussel accused Hannity of sexual harassment, that was signed by Sekulow and Victoria Toensing, listing them as “Counsel for Sean Hannity.”
Since Hannity announced that he hired Sekulow nearly a year ago, Sekulow has been a guest on Hannity’s Fox show 53 times. Sekulow has also appeared on Hannity's radio show at least 27 times in that period. Media Matters found only one occasion throughout Sekulow’s 53 appearances on Hannity’s television show in which the host mentioned he had legal ties to Sekulow. On May 23, 2017, two days before the Oklahoma radio station received a letter from Sekulow on Hannity’s behalf, Hannity stated, “Joining us with reaction, from the American Center for Law and Justice, Jay Sekulow, by the way, who's done legal work for me in the past.” Here are the times Sekulow appeared on Hannity’s Fox News show:
3/8/18 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
2/2/18 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
1/23/18 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
1/22/18 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
12/15/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
12/12/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
11/14/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
10/30/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
10/26/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
10/23/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
9/21/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
9/12/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
9/5/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
8/15/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
8/8/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
8/7/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
8/4/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
8/3/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/27/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/18/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/17/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/14/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/11/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
7/10/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/29/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/27/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/26/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/23/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/22/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/21/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/19/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/15/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/14/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/13/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/12/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
[Sekulow joined Trump legal team]
6/9/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/8/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
6/7/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/30/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
[Radio station KFAQ received letter signed by Sekulow as “Counsel for Sean Hannity”]
5/23/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow, “who's done legal work for me in the past”
5/22/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/19/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/18/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/16/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/15/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/12/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/10/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/9/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/3/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
5/2/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
4/28/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
4/19/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
4/12/17 - Fox News - Hosted Sekulow
Victoria Toensing
Trump connection: Trump reportedly wanted to add Victoria Toensing and her husband diGenova to his legal team. Ultimately, neither of them did due to what Sekulow called “conflicts” that prevented them “from joining the president’s special counsel legal team.” He added: “However, those conflicts do not prevent them from assisting the president in other legal matters.”
Hannity connection: Hannity has leaned on Toensing in the past to help push conspiracy theories about both Benghazi and Uranium One. Toensing represented the alleged FBI informant who made allegations about foul play by the Clintons in the Uranium One deal and who was frequently discussed on Hannity’s show. Additionally, Toensing was identified, along with Sekulow, as “Counsel for Sean Hannity” in a letter received by an Oklahoma radio station in March 2017 after right-wing radio host Debbie Schlussel accused Hannity of sexual harassment.
Hannity has hosted Toensing on his show 11 times in the past two years. And Toensing has been discussed or mentioned on the show nine times. Hannity has previously alluded to Toensing being “one of the great attorneys” and a “friend for years,” and he has actually claimed on multiple occasions that he’d love to hire her. But a Media Matters review found no instances in which Hannity disclosed on his Fox News show that Toensing was or had been his attorney. Here are the times Toensing appeared, or was mentioned, on Hannity’s Fox News show:
3/26/2018 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
3/22/2018 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
3/9/2018 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
3/8/2018 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
2/21/2018 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
2/8/2018 - Fox News - Guest Mentioned Toensing
2/7/2018 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
1/29/2018 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
1/4/2018 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
12/4/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
11/28/2017 - Fox News - Guest Mentioned Toensing
11/21/2017 - Fox News - Guest Mentioned Toensing
11/20/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
11/13/2017 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
11/6/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
10/26/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
10/25/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
10/24/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
10/18/2017 - Fox News - Hosted Toensing
5/5/2016 - Fox News - Mentioned Toensing
Joseph diGenova
Trump connection: Trump wanted to hire Joseph diGenova to his legal team after he reportedly watched diGenova’s Fox News appearances defending him and presenting the Russia probe “as a conspiracy against him.” But diGenova and his wife Toensing ultimately did not join his team because of unspecified “conflicts” related to their ability to join “the president’s special counsel legal team.” Sekulow added: “However, those conflicts do not prevent them from assisting the president in other legal matters.”
Hannity connection: In April 2017, after a far-right troll suggested that the CIA “targeted” Hannity for surveillance during the election “because of his perceived ties to Julian Assange,” the WikiLeaks founder, Hannity claimed that he had hired lawyers Sekulow and diGenova to investigate and pursue a civil action. Additionally, The Atlantic reported that Toensing’s signature in a May 25, 2017, cease-and-desist letter sent on behalf of Hannity to an Oklahoma radio station “sits above her name and that of her husband Joseph E. diGenova, the members of diGenova and Toensing LLP, who are identified as ‘Counsel for Sean Hannity.’”
Since Hannity said he hired diGenova nearly a year ago, diGenova has been a guest on Hannity’s Fox News show five times. DiGenova was also discussed on Hannity’s show on one other occasion. Separately, diGenova has appeared on Hannity’s radio show at least seven times in that time period. In March of this year, while discussing diGenova and Toensing, Hannity stated on his show, “I’d hire them in a second.” But a Media Matters review of diGenova’s appearances on Hannity’s Fox News show found no instances in which Hannity disclosed that diGenova’s firm represented him. Here are the times diGenova appeared or was mentioned on Hannity’s Fox News show:
4/16/18 - Fox News - Hosted diGenova
4/11/18 - Fox News - Hosted diGenova
4/4/18 - Fox News - Hosted diGenova
3/22/18 - Fox News - Mentioned diGenova
2/7/18 - Fox News - Hosted diGenova
5/11/17 - Fox News - Hosted diGenova
Nick Fernandez, Zach Pleat, Sanam Malik, Steve Morris, and Tyler Monroe contributed to this post.