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U.S. NEWSSaturday 6 June 2015
Sister: Brother was sexually abused by ex-Speaker Hastert
MARY CLARE JALONICK Hastert — who during his Fifteen years before Hast-
Associated Press term as speaker from 1999 ert allegedly promised to
WASHINGTON (AP) — A to 2007 stood second in line pay that money, Burdge’s
woman says the FBI in- to the U.S. presidency — brother died. But years be-
terviewed her last month was charged last week in fore his death, his sister said,
about her allegations that a federal indictment that he told her that his first ho-
her brother was sexually alleges he agreed to pay mosexual contact was with
abused while in high school $3.5 million to someone Hastert and that it lasted
by Dennis Hastert, the wres- from Yorkville, the Illinois throughout his high school
tling coach who would be- town where he taught and years.
come speaker of the U.S. coached high school wres- Jolene Burdge told The As-
House of Representatives, tling, so the person would sociated Press on Thursday
one of the most powerful stay quiet about “prior mis- that the FBI interviewed her
positions in Washington. conduct.” in mid-May about Hastert.
In this 2007 photo, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., sits for
a portrait in his Capitol Hill office. A woman says the FBI inter-
viewed her last month about her allegations that her brother
was sexually abused while in high school by Dennis Hastert.
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Burdge would not disclose is ongoing.
her brother’s name to AP Hastert has not been
but said he graduated charged with sexual abuse.
from Yorkville High School But Burdge’s story indicates
in 1971 and that Hastert there could be more vic-
was his teacher and wres- tims beyond the “Individual
tling coach. Hastert was a A” named in the indict-
teacher and coach in Yor- ment.
kville from 1965 to 1981, ac- Hastert did not respond to
cording to the indictment. a message left on his cell-
In an interview aired Friday phone early Friday. He has
on ABC’s “Good Morning not been since in public
America,” Burdge identi- since the indictment was
fied her brother as Stephen announced. Emails and
Reinboldt, and said Hastert phone messages sent to
had been a father figure to his son, Ethan Hastert, also
him in high school. But she went unanswered.
also said she believed Hast- The FBI did not respond to
ert had caused him irrepa- a request for comment on
rable harm. Burdge’s allegations.
“He damaged Steve, Reinboldt died in Los Ange-
I think, more than any les in 1995 at the age of 42.
of us will ever know,” she Burdge told ABC that he
told the morning show. died of AIDS.
The AP could not indepen- An obituary published
dently verify her allega- in The (Aurora) Beacon
tions. News said Reinboldt had
A person familiar with the “a unique and fascinat-
allegations in the indict- ing mind” and was drawn
ment has told the AP that to the arts, especially film,
the payments mentioned drama and music.
in the document were in- He was a manager of the
tended to conceal claims wrestling team that Hastert
that the Illinois Republican coached, the AP found. He
sexually molested some- graduated in 1971 and lat-
one decades ago. The er moved to the Los Ange-
person spoke to the AP on les area, where he worked
the condition of anonymity for Columbia Pictures in
because the investigation sales and distribution. q
