Grand jury indicts ex-House speaker
Dennis Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to keep an unidentified person silent about “prior misconduct,” the indictment alleges.
CHICAGO — E Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million in hush money to keep an unidentified person silent about “prior misconduct” by the Illinois Republican, according to a federal grand jury indictment delivered Thursday.
The indictment, which does not describe the misconduct Hastert was allegedly trying to conceal, charges the 73-yearold with one count of evading bank regulations as he withdrew tens of thousands of dollars at a time to make the payments. He is also charged with one count of lying to the FBI about the reason for the unusual bank withdrawals.
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A woman who answered the phone at the former congressman’s consulting business said Hastert told her to refer questions to his Washington lobbying firm Dick- stein Shapiro. A spokesman for Dickstein Shapiro had no immediate comment.
Hastert withdrew $1.7 million in cash from bank accounts from 2010 to 2014, and then provided it to the person identified in the indictment as Individual A. Hastert allegedly agreed to pay the person $3.5 million, but apparently never paid that full amount.
The indictment notes Hastert was a high school teacher and coach from 1965 to 1981 in suburban Yorkville, about 50 miles west of Chicago. While the indictment says Individual A has been a resident of Yorkville and has known Hastert most of his life, it doesn’t describe their relationship.
Hastert was a little-known lawmaker when chosen to succeed Newt Gingrich as House speaker. He was picked after favored Louisiana Rep. Bob Livingston resigned following his admission of several sexual affairs.