May 28th, 2015
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million in apparent hush money to a longtime acquaintance, then lied to the FBI when asked about suspicious cash withdrawals from several banks, federal prosecutors alleged Thursday.
The stunning indictment of the longtime Republican powerhouse alleged he gave about $1.7 million in cash to the acquaintance, identified only as Individual A in the charges, to “compensate for and conceal (Hastert’s) prior misconduct” against Individual A that had occurred years earlier.
So says the Chicago Tribune, which posted the indictment here. It’s an interesting read:
a. From approximately 1965 to 1981, defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT was a high school teacher and coach in Yorkville, Illinois. From approximately 1981 to 2007, defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT was an elected public official, including eight years as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. From approximately 2008 to the present, defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT has worked as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
b. Individual A has been a resident of Yorkville, Illinois and has known defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT most of Individual A’s life.
c. In or about 2010, Individual A met with defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT multiple times. During at least one of the meetings, Individual A and defendant discussed past misconduct by defendant against Individual A that had occurred years earlier.
d. During the 2010 meetings and subsequent discussions, defendant JOHN DENNIS HASTERT agreed to provide Individual A $3.5 million in order to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct against Individual A. …
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Jack
May 29th, 2015
Larry Craig meets Jerry Sandusky. Looks like he had a strongly held belief about the sanctity of jockstraps.
Ben in oakland
May 29th, 2015
I was at the gym yesterday when the TV screens that are everywhere indicated hastert’s indictment. There wasn’t any information available, and I remember thinking, “wonder if it’s a dead girl or a live boy.” Only in this morning’s paper was there an indication that this was something financial. But now, one has to wonder. Personally, I think it would be very funny if what the implication of this article is comes to light.
But then, I have a very odd sense of humor when it comes to Republicans.
Timothy Kincaid
May 29th, 2015
Very very little information about Individual A. No hints as to age or gender.
Paul Douglas
May 29th, 2015
God’s
Own
Party
!
CPT_Doom
May 29th, 2015
Anonymous sources are now stating that Individual A is a man, and that the payoff resulted from inappropriate sexual contact when Hastert was a coach/teacher, prior to his career in politics. Apparently there have been rumors for years. I give it until Monday morning before the whole story is out; you know his hometown has to be crawling with media.
enough already
May 29th, 2015
Hastert is always trumpeting how Christian he is and that’s why he knifes women and gays and starving children and sick elderly people in the back.
So – it can only be a man he sexually abused. Conservative, Christian, GOP leader, male – has to be. There is nothing else.
JEM
May 29th, 2015
L.A. Times now reporting exactly what we all thought it was.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hastert-misconduct-20150529-story.html
Ben in Oakland
May 29th, 2015
Still an allegation, JEM, without much substantiation.
Still, I was hoping that this would be another hypocritical-republican-family-values- hypocrite issue, as deaths and good things come in threes. we have the Duggar scandal, we have the minister in michigan scandal, and now, with luck, we have the Hastert is a molester possibility.
The three of these, plus the vote in Ireland, and I would say it has been an excellent week.
Jack
May 29th, 2015
It’s a shame Tom Foley didn’t live to see this.
Eric Payne
May 29th, 2015
@Ben in Oakland,
I’m sorry, but I have to take exception to your statement – actually, what I want to do is scream at you, “What the FUCK are you talking about???” — but I’ll stay civilized.
Think of the Duggars girls. At least two of them have been, at the mildest, “inappropriately touched,” and at the worst, outright sexually molested. By their own brother. Then their own parents arrange it that brother can confess to his actions but, also, remain both legally unpunished and unpunishable… All while they all are still living in the family home.
If these allegations against Hassert are, indeed, true, he used his position within the educational system to prey on adolescents placed in his charge.
There’s absolutely no place for smugness in any of this… filth. Rather than rolling in self-centered glee over their fall… Think of their victims.
Ben in Oakland
May 29th, 2015
Eric, I understand your strong feelings on the subject. I don’t disagree with you, except in what is almost a personal attack on me.
I don’t disagree with you at all about Hastert, but it is done with, and a long time ago.
I don’t disagree with you, but the victim may have been a consensual victim, and not a victim of the same sort as the Duggar girls. Not that that excuses Hastert.
And Hastert paid him a lot of money. I have a suspicion that if the man was blackmailing Hastert, that doesn’t make him a lot better than he ought to be. Not that that excuses Hastert.
I always think of the victims. But that doesn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying what I hope is the downfall of yet another Christian, Republican, family-values-gotta-stop-the-gays hypocrite.
Eric Payne
May 29th, 2015
Ben,
Point taken. I tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to any type of sex scandal involving teens or children.
Did anyone else hear the latest? TLC is talking about a Duggar “spin off,” focusing on the just married daughter — whichever one that is — adjusting to her new role as wife.
Think she’ll let the cameras in on her therapy sessions?
Truly, truly sick.
Timothy Kincaid
May 29th, 2015
We also need to consider that irrespective of what Hastert did or didn’t do, this appears to be extortion.
Jim Burroway
May 29th, 2015
“…this appears to be extortion.”
That was my thought as well — and saying that does not mean that I see Hastert as “just a victim” necessarily, or that the possible/alleged “extortionist” is therefore not also a victim (If, indeed he is one; we don’t even know how much was consensual and perhaps even perfectly legal, although “misconduct” here is a nebulous term that could easily indicate otherwise). It probably isn’t such a neat and tidy zero-sum kind of thing. That’s just my speculation though. I’m sure more will come out sooner rather than later.
Lord_Byron
May 29th, 2015
@Jim
“we don’t even know how much was consensual and perhaps even perfectly legal”
From my understanding, and I could be completely wrong, but it is always illegal for a student to have sex with a teacher/coach even if the students are at the age of consent. Because of the imbalance of power, like a minister or cop, the legal system doesn’t allow a student to consent because of the question of power.
Jim Burroway
May 29th, 2015
That’s a good reason to say it’s always immoral, although I don’t know exactly if I would go that far without knowing the details. But it may not necessarily be illegal (although maybe it is in New York) and it may not have necessarily been illegal at the time.
enough already
May 30th, 2015
It need not be illegal to be wrong.
As for the person who demanded and got money – good for him.
He was abused by this monster, he deserves every penny he can get from the thug.
I have had it with the way these Christians treat gay people. I have had it with the way these Christians treat girls and women.
I just hope this man gets to keep the money and his privacy.
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