Last week, Fox News spent some time advancing Republican NY Governor candidate Carl Paladino's completely baseless claim that his Democratic opponent, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, had carried on extramarital affairs, back when he was married (Cuomo is now divorced). See, in case you were unaware, Paladino has admitted to having an affair and to having a ten year old “love child” as a result of this affair. Naturally, this revelation has drawn some media attention; attention with which Paladino isn't quite thrilled. So, in turn, he accused Cuomo, too, of having had an affair in the past, while also attacking the media for not questioning Cuomo about this. The New York media was shocked at this accusation, as no one has ever alleged Cuomo had an affair--and for good reason. It seems that Paladino completely made it up, though you probably wouldn't know that from watching Fox News.

Here's what happened: Last week, during an interview with Politico's Maggie Haberman, Paladino quipped, “Has anybody asked Andrew Cuomo about his paramours,” and his campaign manager added, “when he was married.” According to Haberman, “Paladino continued, 'When he was married -- or asked him why his wife left him or threw him out of the house? Has anybody ever done that?' he demanded. 'What are they doing intruding on my life?'” Haberman later reported that she told Paladino that the media was aware of--and had extensively reported--that Cuomo's ex-wife had had an affair and asked him “if it was ever proven that something had happened with Cuomo.” Paladino reportedly responded, that there were “four” women--with whom Cuomo allegedly had affairs, and asked Haberman, “want me to go get affidavits from the women? Is that what you want?”

Following Paladino's allegation, many in the media followed up to see what proof Paladino had, and on several occasions, Paladino claimed he had proof, but he would release that proof “at the appropriate time.” All of this lead to the now famous exchange between Paladino and New York Post editor Fred Dickers, in which Dickers questioned Paladino for evidence, and Paladino threatened to “take” Dickers “out.” Fox News covered this story, but, rather than coming to the defense of their News Corps colleague, they seemed to defend Paladino for threatening Dickers.

While reporting on this, Fox & Friends took the opportunity to float Paladino's allegation of “Status Cuomo['s]” affair -- as co-host Brian Kilmeade called him. Co-host Steve Doocy said, “what started that was the fact that over the last week or two, the media here in New York, the tabloids, have been fixated on Carl Paladino who had an extramarital affair, while married, obviously, and has a ten-year old love child. And, he's saying, the double standard. You sent your reporters, your goons to get a picture of my daughter, but why hasn't anybody ever asked Andrew Cuomo about his paramours.” Co-host Gretchen Carlson was quick to jump in and point out that Paladino has merely alleged that Cuomo had affairs, but nonetheless, they continued pushing the idea, going so far as to say that Dickers “almost seemed” like he “was working on behalf of Cuomo.”

Turns out, none of it was true. After repeatedly being pressed for proof of his completely fabricated allegation, Paladino furiously backpedaled, claiming that he never actually accused Cuomo of having an affair, let alone claim to have proof of this affair. He claimed that he was “sick and tired of people asking me about if I've had affairs...I was talking to [a reporter with Politico.com] and said 'Why don't you ask Andrew Cuomo if he has had extramarital affairs. It's not that I was accusing him.'” So, to recap, complaining that no one is asking Cuomo “about his paramours,” “three of the four” of them he knew, and could possibly “get affidavits from,” in Paladino's world, wasn't an accusation of an affairs.

It seems that the same holds true in Fox News' world. Paladino's initial allegations got play throughout the network, particularly his exchange with Dickers. And, according to a Nexis search, only Fox News' Special Report has since pointed out that Paladino “back[ed] off” his claim despite having told FOX's Megyn Kelly that he will reveal what information he does have “at the appropriate time.” To her credit, earlier in the day Kelly questioned Paladino about his reversal, prompting Paladino to pull a double back flip to claim that he will “put out” his evidence “at the appropriate time.”

But it is Sean Hannity and Eric Shawn who really earned the prize for their hard-hitting reporting on the issue. On Friday night, after Special Report had reported that Paladino had no proof, Hannity hosted Paladino to let him explain what happened during the Dickers exchange. The only mention of Paladino's allegation of a Cuomo affair came when Hannity said: "[T]he initial question that Fred Dicker asked you of the “New York Post” and that was about Andrew Cuomo, and you were raising questions about whether he'd an extramarital affair.You say no, that's not what you said and that was actually a remark you made about people asking you questions about your personal life? Can you explain it?" Paladino replied that he was just a “regular guy” who “lived the American dream” and accused Dickers of “stalk[ing]” his daughter. Paladino didn't say anything more about his affair allegations, and Hannity certainly didn't press him on it. Instead, he just let Paladino accuse Dickers and the New York Post of all sorts of wrongdoing, and then to go after Cuomo as “a nasty, dirty man” who won't explain where he stands on the issues. During the same program, Hannity gushed about how much he just “love[d] his confrontational style. He's refreshingly honest.”

On Sunday's America's News HQ, days after Fox itself reported that Paladino had no proof, Eric Shawn hosted Paladino to discuss how he went “head to head” with Dickers. Introducing the interview, Shawn said that Paladino “raised the possibility of affairs by his Democratic opponent,” which Cuomo “denies.” He added, “Paladino says he'll release any information at the appropriate time.”

See? Fair and balanced.

Take a look: