Not just for breakfast anymore....

From now on I will only refer to Sean Hannity as "Client Number Three"

— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) April 16, 2018

Bloomberg:

A gasp was heard in the courtroom when a Cohen lawyer disclosed the name of the third client: Sean Hannity.

Hannity is a Fox News host and has been one of the president’s most vocal on-air defenders. and a critic of Mueller’s probe. Trump often calls Hannity after his Fox News program, according to media reports.

“I understand he doesn’t want his name out there, but that isn’t the law,” Judge Wood said. (David Voreacos)

Even better than that:

How @FoxNews (very briefly) covered the bombshell Sean Hannity news this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/Cecj92U4kV

— Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) April 16, 2018

Hannity was on the radio when the news broke:

"I think it's pretty funny," @seanhannity says on his radio show about the Michael Cohen hearing. "I'll decide if I'm going to put out a statement here," he says, before going back to the #ComeyInterview

— Ben Amey (@BenAmeyPR) April 16, 2018

Shep Smith on Fox News announced:

“We just spoke with his publicist here at Fox News who says that he says they’ve been friends for a long time, he never denied that he he was his lawyer, that he did some legal work along the way, and that’s the extent of that,” Smith reported.

Apparently Hannity decided it wasn't all that funny (Bloomberg, again):

 Sean Hannity, who was poised to do a radio show when his name emerged in the court, said on air that he had asked Cohen for his perspective on some legal questions involving attorney-client privilege, but never talked to Cohen about any case involving a third party.

“I never paid legal fees to Michael,” Hannity said. “Michael never represented me in any matter.” He later added: I “may have” handed Cohen “ten bucks” and asked for attorney-client privilege. (Steven Dennis)

And it got less funny:

Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 16, 2018

That's funny, maybe he DID represent me!

In response to some wild speculation, let me make clear that I did not ask Michael Cohen to bring this proceeding on my behalf, I have no personal interest in this proceeding, and, in fact, asked that my de minimis discussions with Michael Cohen,

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 16, 2018

which dealt almost exclusively about real estate, not be made a part of this proceeding.

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) April 16, 2018

Hannity on the radio, where it still wasn't funny:

“How is it possible that NBC and ABC goes absolutely — and MSNBC and CNN — goes absolutely off the rails over a simple thing like that,” he complained.

Oh, please; how could they not?

This is an evolving denial.  Please stay tuned for updated explanations of what Hannity actually meant despite what you think he said.

As I said:

“Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees,” Hannity said in a statement to TPM provided by Fox News. “I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective. I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third party.”

“It is very strange to watch my own television network having my name up as the lower third, in terms of it being a story,” Hannity said on his radio show after the news broke. “There is a part of me that really wants to build this up into something massive and make the media goes nuts. I had no idea all these media people liked me so much, and now they have to listen to the program.”

“I actually think it’s pretty funny,” he added. He told the Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Ballhaus: “We have been friends a long time. I have sought legal advice from Michael.”

So he never got legal advice from Cohen, but he did seek legal advice from Cohen?  I don't think Hannity understands the attorney-client relationship is not created by money changing hands.  Are all these people really, REALLY, that dumb?

Don't answer that; this is beginning to make my head hurt.