• by Wayne Friedman , April 16, 2010

Growing Tea Party organizers tried to make it official: Having a Fox News anchor do some of its heavy lifting-- that is, raising money.

But Fox News executives got wind of the operation and put the kibosh on Sean Hannity, cancelling a taping of his show at a Cincinnati-based Tea Party event Thursday – this, according to the Los Angeles times. Event organizers were said to be using tickets to fund future events, with Hannity's Web site also offering up links to purchase tickets.

Hannity went back to his New York studio for his Thursday show -- looking to make some straight-ahead financial connections with 30-second TV advertisers we are guessing.