Hannity, a Fox News host who is a close ally of President Donald Trump, pressed for confidential details about the case against Manafort, according to a compilation of hundreds of text messages exchanged between the men, made public as part of the winding down of the case. Hannity at times appeared to try to gauge whether Manafort, a former Trump campaign aide, might be poised to cooperate with investigators, and, if so, what he might tell them about Trump and his inner circle.
After Manafort’s former deputy, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty last year and agreed to cooperate with investigators, Hannity asked why Manafort did not “get a sweetheart deal like Gates.” Manafort responded that prosecutors “would want me to give up” the president or his family, especially his son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner. “I would never do that.”
The messages underscore the outsize role Hannity has played in Trump’s orbit. On his daily syndicated radio program and nightly Fox News show, he serves as a top supporter, leading the charge against Trump’s enemies. But Hannity also speaks regularly to the president about strategy and messaging, and the messages suggest he sought to play a similar role for Manafort, raising the specter that he may have helped the two parties coordinate their strategies, or at least given him real-time visibility into both sides’ thinking.
Days before Manafort and Gates were indicted in October 2017, Hannity suggested he had information. Manafort responded within 10 minutes and the subsequent messages suggest they spoke on the phone, after which Manafort thanked Hannity for “the news,” adding, “You are the best!”
A few months later, Manafort arranged for Hannity to speak with his lawyer Kevin Downing, then quickly followed up, asking how the call went. “Good,” Hannity said. “I asked him to feed me everyday,” adding, “He has to SEND ME STUFF.”
“He will,” Manafort responded.
“Every day,” Hannity demanded.
Later, they speculated on the fate of Kushner, with Manafort positing that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, might be targeting the president’s son-in-law as a way of pressuring Trump into an interview.
“He won’t agree,” Hannity said. “The lawyers will fight tooth and nail. Proffered agreement. All pre planned.”
Hannity did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Downing or a spokesman for Manafort.
The messages began in July 2017 as prosecutors ramped up their investigations into Manafort and Gates, but months before the men were indicted on charges related to their unregistered lobbying work for Russia-aligned Ukrainian interests. The messages ended in June 2018, the day after Manafort was charged with additional counts on witness tampering. Two months later, he was found guilty on tax and banking violations.
Hannity and Manafort seemed to have developed a bond, sharing misplaced confidence that Manafort would beat the charges against him, as well as a disdain for Mueller and his investigators. In one text, Manafort compared Mueller to the Gestapo.
Both men expressed raw animosity for Andrew Weissmann, a member of the special counsel’s team who helped lead the prosecution of Manafort. He called Weissmann a “slime ball,” “unethical” and “illegal” while Hannity concurred with the dismal view of Weissmann.
They thought little of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, expressing disappointment that he did not appoint a second special counsel to investigate the Clinton Foundation.
“Sessions is totally worthless,” Manafort wrote in April 2018. Hannity responded, “Worthless.”
Hannity, who has repeatedly attacked the special counsel and the investigation into the president, drew praise for his Fox News show from Manafort, who professed to be a regular viewer.
“In a fair world you would get a Pulitzer for your incredible reporting,” Manafort wrote in January 2018. After another broadcast, Manafort told the Fox host that he loves him.
At one point early in their correspondence, Hannity indicated he would do “anything I can” to aid Manafort, adding, “I’m NOT a fair weather friend.”
But there was a limit to their relationship. Hannity deflected on multiple occasions when Manafort asked for help drawing attention to efforts to raise money for his legal defense, initially suggesting he might allow Manafort to highlight the fund if he appeared on Hannity’s show.
Manafort repeatedly begged off, citing his gag order. He made a final urgent appeal to Hannity for fundraising assistance in May 2018, writing “Do you think you can do a tweet or a like to the site? I need to draw traffic to it quickly.”
Hannity responded, “Paul it may be problematic with Fox. I need to get the ok. Hope u understand.”