Sean Hannity is not likely to face much blowback from Fox News over his failure to disclose his relationship with President Trump's personal lawyer, said Michael Calderone, Politico's senior media reporter.
"He pretty much plays by his own rules at Fox," said Calderone in an interview Wednesday on Cheddar. "He's their top rated host, he's been there for decades, and he seems to get away with whatever he wants."
Hannity spends much of his 9 p.m. nightly show on Fox News defending Trump, railing against the special counsel's Russia investigation, and slamming the FBI for raiding the office and home of Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer. Then came the [revelation](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/business/media/sean-hannity-michael-cohen-client.html) Monday that Hannity himself had sought legal advice from Cohen.
Though Hannity did not disclose his relationship with Cohen, the Fox host "seems to get away with whatever he wants," said Calderone.
The Politico reporter said he spoke with Hannity last year, during an advertiser boycott of Hannity's show when the TV host was aggressively pushing a conspiracy theory about the killing of a Democratic National Committee staffer, Seth Rich.
"Throughout all of that Sean Hannity was defiant," said Calderone. "He called me up and said 'I can say whatever I want, at Fox News, everyone there leaves me alone.'"
Hannity has acknowledged he asked Cohen for legal advice, but said he isn't a client since there was never a third party involved, and he never received a bill.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/sean-hannity-in-hot-water).
Hard-fought to the end, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial U.S. House vote as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assemble a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans to push it to passage over fierce blowback from conservatives and some progressive dissent.
The Republican speaker urged GOP skeptics Tuesday to look at “the victories” in the package he negotiated with President Joe Biden.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, her family announced Tuesday.
Surrounded by dozens of cheering people in green clothes, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize the substance for adults.
Texas would expand what is considered an illegal public performance of sexual conduct, under a bill approved late Sunday by state lawmakers that drag artists fear will be used to criminalize their shows.
Russia's Interior Ministry on Monday issued an arrest warrant for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham following his comments related to the fighting in Ukraine.
A rare drone attack jolted Moscow early Tuesday, causing only light damage but forcing evacuations as residential buildings were struck in the Russian capital for the first time in the war against Ukraine.
President Joe Biden said the U.S. will consider sanctioning those responsible for the "tragic violation" of human rights.
Some House Democrats will have to vote for McCarthy's bill if enough conservative Republicans keep their word to oppose any compromise.
A South Carolina judge temporarily blocked the state's newly-imposed ban on abortion after six weeks.
