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Dennis Hastert Makes Plea Deal in Hush Money Case
Dennis Hastert Makes Plea Deal in Hush Money Case
The attorney for the disgraced former speaker of the House confirms a deal to avoid a trial that would almost certainly include allegations he had a gay relationship with a student he coached.
Attorneys for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert confirm he plans to plead guilty in a federal case in which he is accused of lying to the FBI about hush money he allegedly paid to avoid sexual misconduct accusations, reports NBC News.
The agreement was announced in a Chicago federal courtroom Thursday. The network reported Hastert is set to appear there on Oct. 28 to enter a plea, according to his lawyer.
What's not clear is whether Hastert, 73, is avoiding prison time. But at the very least he will not face a trial that would likely include a gay relationship he allegedly began with Steve Reinboldt when Hastert was a high-school wrestling coach in the 1960s and '70s.
"This solidifies the fact that he is guilty... that he abused his position," said Jolene Burdge, the sister of the now-deceased Reinboldt. Burdge believes Hastert abused her brother when he was a student at Yorkville High School.
Hastert faces no charges in connection with Burdge's allegations, and his indictment, in which he stands accused of structuring bank transactions to avoid triggering red flags and then lying about those cash withdrawals to the FBI, did not accuse him of sexual abuse.
Read more about those accusations here.
