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

[webfact]

Ex-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleads guilty in hush-money case
BY BNO NEWS

WASHINGTON: -- Former U.S, House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty in Chicago federal court on Wednesday to making false statements to the FBI about currency transactions that were structured to evade federal reporting requirements in a scheme to pay hush money to conceal allegations of sexual misconduct.

The deal with federal prosecutors recommends Hastert, 73, the longest-serving Republican House speaker in history, serve no more than six months in prison and avoid a trial in the case. U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin set sentencing for Feb. 29.

According to the indictment, in 2010, Hastert agreed to provide an individual $3.5 million in order to compensate for and conceal his alleged prior misconduct against that person. From 2010 to 2014, Hastert withdrew a total of approximately $1.7 million in cash from various bank accounts and provided it to the accuser.

Full story: http://www.streetwisejournal.com/ex-u-s-house-speaker-dennis-hastert-pleads-guilty-in-hush-money-case/11926/


-- StreetWiseJournal 2015-10-29

[FangFerang]

Republicans once more show their "real" moral fiber.

[pitrevie]

All he has to do is announce he has been born again and all his sins are forgiven or something like that.

[squarethecircle]

Republicans once more show their "real" moral fiber.

Can't wait to see the Obama/Clinton cloud getting tracked down, seems like this is just punishment from Obama's cops.

Then again Hillary would say: "I don't remember. I am not accountable. You cannot read my emails. I forget."

[Trouble]

Republicans once more show their "real" moral fiber.

Seems like the facts of the story are that Hastert was being blackmailed by a former student when he was a wrestling coach. It is not indicated whether the student was a minor at the time or not but nonetheless the student threatened Hastert with a potential abuse scandal. Fact is, it was blackmail. Hastert withdrew money to pay the blackmailer over a period of time. Hastert's mistake was that when federal investigators questioned him about the large money withdrawals he lied saying he did not trust the banking system. If he had just told them it was none of their business, talked to an attorney, he would not have been prosecuted. Withdrawing your own money and not telling what you are doing with it is not a crime but lying to federal investigators about it is. Lying to police, feds, etc. gets more people in trouble than if they just kept their mouth shut. My advise is don't say anything and get a lawyer.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Trouble

[bluecheesefan]

Republicans once more show their "real" moral fiber.

Seems like the facts of the story are that Hastert was being blackmailed by a former student when he was a wrestling coach. It is not indicated whether the student was a minor at the time or not but nonetheless the student threatened Hastert with a potential abuse scandal. Fact is, it was blackmail. Hastert withdrew money to pay the blackmailer over a period of time. Hastert's mistake was that when federal investigators questioned him about the large money withdrawals he lied saying he did not trust the banking system. If he had just told them it was none of their business, talked to an attorney, he would not have been prosecuted. Withdrawing your own money and not telling what you are doing with it is not a crime but lying to federal investigators about it is. Lying to police, feds, etc. gets more people in trouble than if they just kept their mouth shut. My advise is don't say anything and get a lawyer.

I agree and even if he admitted to giving it to someone, how did he know they weren't paying taxes on it? You can withdraw funds and give it to people if you want. It is up to them to report it. He was dumb to lie, but he was never that quick to begin with.

[RidgeRunner]

Always nice to see a story come full circle. Even 20 years later.

You got to love these right wing hypocrites like Dennis Hasert, Bob Livingston & Newt Gingrich. The 3 amigos that attempted to impeach Bill Clinton over his extramarital affair with Monica Lewenski.

House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, abandoned his cancer stricken wife and was caught banging a Congressional aid while he led the charge to impeach Clinton.

Bob Livingston was chosen to replace Gingrich as House Speaker. Livingston was then exposed committing adultery with 4 women.

Denis Hasert was picked to replace Livingston was busted fiddling with little boys and paying them cash.

Gingrich eventually had to pay a $300,000 fine for his transgressions. Charges: of laundering donations through charities, of using a charity called “Learning for Earning” to pay the salary of a staffer writing a Newt Gingrich biography, and of lying to the ethics committee.

Edited October 30, 2015 by RidgeRunner

[Rimmer]

An off topic post with profanities has been removed