FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

Former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert Will Plead Guilty in Hush Money Case

Hastert was charged in May with withdrawing nearly $1 million in small amounts and lying to the FBI about it, allegedly to cover up previous sexual misconduct.
Photo via EPA

Dennis Hastert, the former US congressman from Illinois who served as speaker of the House longer than any other Republican, plans to plead guilty after being accused of illegally withdrawing large amounts of money and then lying to the FBI about it, his lawyers said Thursday.

Prosecutors allege that Hastert promised to pay $3.5 million dollars to an unnamed person in order to conceal past misconduct that occurred while he was a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkeville, Illinois.

Advertisement

Related: Another Republican Says He Wants to Be Speaker of the House — Unless Paul Ryan Wants to Be

The identity of the individual who was allegedly receiving the hush money from Hastert has not been made public, but anonymous law enforcement officials have told a number of media outlets that Hastert was trying to cover up sexual abuse of a male decades ago. FBI sources told the Chicago Tribune that they interviewed multiple people who brought up similar allegations of abuse.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not say what the specific allegations were, or whether Hastert, who served as speaker from 1999 to 2007, would serve time in prison. Hastert, who pleaded not guilty in July to the two charges, did not appear in court today and has not been charged with any past misconduct or sex crimes.

The plea agreement is expected to be submitted to US District Judge Thomas Durkin on October 19, Hastert's attorneys said during a brief court appearance. Hastert is scheduled to plead guilty October 28.

Last month, lawyers for both sides said they were negotiating a plea deal to keep the case from going to trial, which would reveal potentially embarrassing details about Hastert and the anonymous person to whom he was providing the money. Durkin had told both sides that he would set a trial date if they didn't bring him an agreement this week.

According to the indictment, Hastert withdrew $1.7 million in cash from his bank accounts from 2010 to 2014. He is charged with structuring $952,000 of the withdrawals by taking the funds out in increments of less than $10,000 to avoid a requirement that banks report large cash transactions.

Advertisement

Related: Illinois Governor Signs Sweeping Law Banning Gay Conversion Therapy

Hastert then told the FBI he was keeping the cash for himself, which the indictment said was false. Prosecutors described a series of meetings between Hastert and an unnamed person in which Hastert handed over cash in exchange for the person's silence.

Hastert left public office in 2007 and became a lobbyist in Washington, DC.

Each of the two charges carries a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Follow VICE News on Twitter: @ViceNews