Unsealed Docs Reveal Paul Manafort and Sean Hannity Exchanged Hundreds of Text Messages
“Hey u up?”
The federal judge in former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort’s Washington D.C. court case unsealed 56 pages of chat logs revealing Manafort exchanged hundreds of text messages with Fox News star Sean Hannity between July 2017 and June 2018.
The texts largely show a regular correspondence between the one-time Trump campaign head and now-convicted felon and the pro-Trump conservative media star. Hannity, who has spent the past two-plus years spinning a byzantine Deep State storyline nightly on his top-rated Fox News show, repeatedly told Manafort that he would do everything he could to help him out.
The chat log, which was submitted as part of Manafort’s sentencing, mostly consists of personal conversations related to Hannity’s show — Manafort was a big fan and consistently congratulated him for his pro-MAGA messaging — and Hannity’s desire to push a counter-narrative to the Mueller report. The texts also show Hannity sees himself as a crusader against corruption.
“I would be embarrassed at myself as a son and grandson of people far greater than me not to try my best to fight hard to end corruption in this country,” Hannity says to Manafort at one point.
Hannity, who was also revealed to be former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s secret third client, also offered to host Manafort on his program to help him out during his legal problems. (Manafort has since been sentenced to several years in federal prison.)
“Sean, you are on fire tonight,” Manafort, while watching Hannity’s show. “Finally all of the lies are becoming exposed. Thank you for fighting for our country.”
“I’m sick of these lies,” Hannity responded. “COME ON WITH ME WITH YOUR ATTY BEFORE THE TRY AND ATTACK U MORE.”
Hannity also repeatedly texted Manafort late in the evening, asking if he was able to talk or was up. During one October 2017 text at 2 AM, the Fox News star said he needed to see Manafort in person to tell him something.
Shortly after the documents were unsealed, Hannity took to Twitter to address the matter, offering up a prebuttal to any complaints that he didn’t disclose his relationship and conversations with Manafort during his nightly defenses of the ex-Trump campaign chief.
My view of the Special Counsel investigation and the treatment of Paul Manafort were made clear every day to anyone who listens to my radio show or watches my TV show.
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) June 21, 2019
“My view of the Special Counsel investigation and the treatment of Paul Manafort were made clear every day to anyone who listens to my radio show or watches my TV show,” he wrote on Friday.
You can view all of the Hannity/Manafort texts here.
