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Dennis Hastert

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was paying a former student to keep quiet about allegations of sexual misconduct from the time when Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach in Illinois, two sources with knowledge of the federal investigation say.

Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkville, Illinois, between 1965 and 1981, before entering politics. Hastert was indicted on Thursday on charges of lying to the FBI about $3.5 million he allegedly agreed to pay to an undisclosed person to "Cover up past misconduct." Ref. CNN.

Hastert Dennis

Ex-House Speaker Hastert pleads not guilty to charges in federal hush-money case

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in federal court to charges that he lied to the FBI and illegally structured bank withdrawals to pay off a former associate for misconduct that is believed to have occurred decades ago. Ref. USAToday

Dennis Hastert History & Civil Business Politics

Ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert to plead guilty in hush money case

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert will plead guilty to charges that he lied to the FBI about making illegally structured bank transactions as part of an effort to pay hush money to someone he wronged in the past, prosecutors and his attorneys said in court Thursday. With the plea agreement, Hastert may avoid further embarrassing details from becoming public. Ref. CNN

Hastert Dennis

Attorneys for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert told a judge they reached an agreement for their client to plead guilty to charges that he lied to federal investigators about plans to pay someone he had wronged $3.5 million in hush money.

Hastert is scheduled to enter his plea at an October 28 hearing, according to the U.S. Attorney's office for Northern Illinois.

Two sources with knowledge of the federal investigation told CNN in June that Hastert was paying a former student to stay quiet about allegations of sexual abuse. Ref. CNN

Hastert Dennis

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleads guilty in hush-money case

With the guilty plea, Hastert, 73, may be able to keep further embarrassing details about why, according to the federal prosecutors, he agreed to pay $3.5 million to an unidentified individual from Yorkville, Ill. - the town where he worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach before entering politics. The indictment, which was unsealed nearly five months ago, only referred to the alleged wrongdoing by Hastert as "Prior misconduct" Against someone identified as "Individual A." But federal law enforcement officials told USA TODAY that Hastert made illegally structured bank withdrawals as part of an effort to conceal sexual misconduct he committed against a male student decades earlier when he worked at Yorkville High School. Ref. USAToday

Dennis Hastert

Prosecutors recommend no more than six months in prison for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying about $3.5 million in hush money. Ref. CNN

Dennis Hastert

This is a good example of how unbalanced the justice system can be. If there were any 'regular' Joe they would be looking at years for that amount of money.

Dennis Hastert Politics Business Civil & History

While he was a wrestling coach, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert molested 14-year-old-boy

Former speaker Dennis Hastert committed bank fraud as part of a plan to pay hush money to someone he allegedly sexually abused when the victim was a 14 years old and in the ex-lawmaker's charge as a high school wrestling coach, federal prosecutors alleged in a court filing on Friday. Ref. USAToday.