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U.S. NEWSThursday 29 October 2015
Ex-House Speaker
Hastert pleads guilty
to evading bank laws
MICHAEL TARM that person, but it does not
Associated Press explain the nature of the
CHICAGO (AP) — Den- wrongdoing.
nis Hastert pleaded guilty The Associated Press and
Wednesday to evading other media, citing anon-
banking laws in a hush- ymous sources, have re-
money scheme, averting a ported that the payments
trial by agreeing to a deal were meant to hide claims
with federal prosecutors of sexual misconduct from
that recommends the for- decades ago.
mer House speaker serve At the half-hour hearing in
no more than six months in Chicago, a subdued Hast-
prison. ert read from a brief writ-
The plea helped seal the ten statement that — like
downfall of a man who his indictment — focused
rose from obscurity in rural narrowly on how he techni-
Illinois to the nation’s third- cally broke banking laws.
highest political office. Dur- By pleading guilty, Hastert
ing his eight years as speak- avoids a trial that could
er, Hastert was second in have divulged the embar-
the line of succession to the rassing secrets dating back
presidency. to his days as a high-school
Before accepting the plea, wrestling coach that he
the 73-year-old Republican presumably wanted to
was warned by the judge keep under wraps by pay-
that he could go beyond ing hush money.
the recommendation and Judges are also generally
give Hastert up to five years more likely to give lighter
behind bars when he is sen- sentences to defendants
tenced in February. who accept responsibility
Because the plea agree- for their actions and spare
ment has a sentencing the government the cost of
range from no prison time a trial.
to six months, U.S. District The 15-page plea deal,
Judge Thomas M. Durkin which Hastert signed
could also decide to put Wednesday, was released
Hastert on probation or after the hearing. In it, he
home confinement. acknowledged the un-
As he stepped to the lec- named person and that
tern to answer a series of the two “discussed past
questions, he spoke in a misconduct” by Hastert
voice so soft that the judge against that person, who is
at one point told him to only referred to as “Individ-
speak up. ual A.” That discussion led
The hearing revealed no to the agreement for $3.5
new details about why million.
Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 In exchange for the plea,
million to an unidentified prosecutors were expect-
person. The indictment says ed to drop a charge stem-
the payments were meant ming from lying to the FBI.
to conceal past miscon- Sentencing was scheduled
duct by Hastert against for Feb. 29.q
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the federal courthouse Wednesday, Oct. 28,
2015, in Chicago, where he changed his plea to guilty in a hush-money case that alleges he
agreed to pay someone $3.5 million to hide claims of past misconduct.
Associated Press
