Fox News host Sean Hannity will not be receiving the Media Research Center's (MRC) Willliam F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence, purportedly over a scheduling conflict, Politico reported Friday.
But, according to unnamed sources, the real issue was that Buckley's son, Christopher Buckley, was not happy with the organization's decision to give the award to Hannity at its September fundraising gala.
"It's a coverup," a source familiar with the situation told Politico.
Buckley declined to comment.
CNN first reported the story Friday saying the decision to give Hannity the award "caused distress among Buckley's family — in particular his only child, best-selling author Christopher Buckley," and explained the scheduling conflict excuse was "concocted."
Hannity responded on Twitter he was glad he declined the award:
The gala is the primary fundraising event each year for the MRC, a conservative media group. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens criticized the decision to give the award to Hannity in a recent column.
"As honors go, neither the award nor the organization bestowing it — the Media Research Center — is particularly noteworthy," Stephens wrote earlier this month. "But sometimes symbolism is more potent than fact. If we have reached the point where rank-and-file conservatives see nothing amiss with giving Hannity an award named for Buckley, then surely there's a Milton Friedman Prize awaiting Steve Bannon for his insights on free trade. And maybe Sean Spicer can receive the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent for his role in exposing 'fake news.' The floor's the limit."
At the time, Hannity responded to Stephens' column by tweeting that he agreed, writing he didn't "deserve the [Buckley] award," and that he didn't care what Stephens thought.
The award's most recent recipient was conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, who could not attend but accepted it via video message. Others who have received the award include Andrew Breitbart, Charles Krauthammer and Charlie Daniels.
MRC spokesman Ryan Moy did not respond to Politico when asked who this year's award recipient would be.
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