Sean Hannity’s "Freedom Concerts" alleged to be massive fraud. Will John Kasich stand up for injured vets and their late comrades’ widowed children or his Fox News buddy?

For years, Sean Hannity has been sponsoring concerts in which he has claimed that 100% of the proceeds went to provide college tuition to the widowed children of veterans and to provide assistance to severely wounded vets.  Just about every year, Hannity’s Freedom Concert Tour includes a stop in SWO– the heart of Ohio GOP country.  (Where former President George W. Bush used to get his largest crowds… that weren’t protesting him.)

Conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel reviewed the organization’s IRS past filings as well as reviewed specific distribution to several wounded vets (a DailyKos diary raised similar allegations in 2007.)  Her investigation concluded that roughly only 4% to 12% actually went to the scholarship fund and seriously wounded troops from 2006-2008.  A charity is normally considered illegitimate if less than 75% of its revenue winds up going to the intended beneficiaries.  In some years, the organization’s tax filings indicated that less than ten percent ever made it to the intended recipients.

Hannity’s organization, which has fellow Fox News personality Oliver North as an honorary chairman, denies the charges, but their denial does not actually address many of the points Schlussel made.

Today, CREW and VoteVets.org has filed a complaint with the FTC and the IRS asking them to investigate Hannity’s charities.

The question is whether John Kasich will stand with the people of Southwest Ohio who were duped by Sean Hannity’s scam, or will he stand with his Fox News friend, Sean Hannity?

Will John Kasich, who has avoided the tough questions like a plague, speaking to Ohioans only from his all white-YouTube room, even address this scandal?

Given that John Kasich was the only gubernatorial candidate that failed to fill out the Plain Dealer’s voter guide questionnaire, this is yet another question John Kasich will refuse to answer.

On August 7th, Hannity’s Freedom Concerts yet again will roll into Cincinnati.  Will John Kasich have anything to say by then?