As if his fall from grace couldn’t get any more sleazy, it seems that former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert is desperately maneuvering to keep the details of decades-old sex abuse allegations under wraps.
A possible plea agreement is being negotiated in the hush-money case, attorneys told a judge Monday, meaning potentially embarrassing details about the underlying actions in the case may never be divulged in court or anywhere else.
Hastert, who led the U.S. House for nine years, has pleaded not guilty to charges the Republican skirted federal banking laws in an attempt to pay someone $3.5 million to hide claims of past misconduct.
The Associated Press and other media, citing anonymous sources, have reported the payments were intended to conceal claims of sexual misconduct decades ago while Hastert was a high school wrestling coach.
The disclosure about talks on a plea agreement came during a pre-trial hearing in Chicago and after U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin asked both sides to explain why they have repeatedly asked for more time for pretrial motions. Prosecutors and defense attorneys — who have taken steps to keep information not in the indictment secret — confirmed to the judge that they were in talks, but they offered no details.
Legal experts said Hastert, who did not attend the hearing, has a strong incentive to reach a plea agreement and avoid trial.
Jeff Cramer, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago, added: “If you spent millions to keep a secret, then the last thing you want is for the secret to come out in open court.”
The identity of “Individual A” is among the details not in the Hastert indictment. While prosecutors may not be inclined to reveal that person’s identity at a trial, jurors may want an explanation for why Hastert allegedly withdrew so much money and felt motivated to lie about it.
Authorities allege that Hastert structured cash withdrawals in increments of just under $10,000 in an attempt to avoid financial reporting rules, and when questioned by the FBI, said he was taking the money out because he didn’t trust banks.
Investigators have said Hastert withdrew about $1.7 million of the amount he allegedly agreed to pay.
The indictment also notes that Hastert was a teacher and coached high school wrestling until 1981 in Yorkville, which is just west of Chicago. Hastert still lives near the town.
Hastert is charged with one count of violating banking laws and one of lying to the FBI, and he faces a maximum five years in prison on each count. He remains free on bond.
During a hearing in July, Hastert’s lead attorney, Thomas C. Green, noted that the media reports about Hastert’s alleged past sexual misconduct were the “800-pound gorilla” in the case. Green said he wasn’t sure how or whether to address those allegations as he prepared for trial.
Durkin, during the same hearing, warned that he might be obligated to reveal potentially sensitive details in his rulings if the defense raised the issues in any motion to dismiss the indictment.
Plea deals are common in the federal court system as a way for defendants to secure more lenient sentences in exchange for a guilty plea. Out of nearly 90,000 defendants with cases in U.S. courts nationally in the 12 months before June 2014, nearly 80,000 pleaded guilty; only around 2,000 of those defendants went to trial, according to court data. If defendants go to trial and lose, Herman explained, sentencing judges typically impose stiffer sentences.
Dennis Hastert has received a significant amount of punishment for his alleged crime. He has had to live his political life constantly wondering if that would be the day when his past would be brought to light and his career would be over. He paid out a large amount of money to the victim. He was indicted for attempting to make a large payout as part of an extortion. Although the statute of limitations has run out on the original action, Hastert will forever be known for something that he paid a lot of money to keep silent.
It seems to me the person carrying out the extortion should be named. He deserved his anonymity as a victim but his role in the extortion should earn him a public outing. He should also face prosecution. A jury can decide what his punishment should be for extortion.
I’m sorry. Sex abusers, pedophiles and predators deserve nothing but prison time or worse. Your first sentence is a joke, right? I would like to hear your opinion about Hastert if the children he abused were your children.
Justin;
Absolutely agree 100%…The extortioner should be prosecuted also !
This is exactly how the RINO Establishment works. They select for senior congressional positions men they have the goods on, things they can use to coerce and blackmail to get their will imposed. You either reject the RINO Establishment and its minions like John Boehner, Mitchell McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, or you’ll get more of the same criminality those three and Dennis Hastert have been so diligently working to effect in the law.