A former US House Speaker who has been
indicted by a federal grand jury allegedly paid off
an individual to hide past sexual misconduct, the
Los Angeles Times reported Friday.
Dennis Hastert, 73, was indicted on Thursday on
charges that he violated banking laws to pay $3.5
million to an unnamed person to cover up "past
misconduct," according to media reports.
The LA Times, citing two unidentified federal law
enforcement officials, reported Friday that the
alleged misconduct was of a sexual nature and
did not relate to his public office.
Thursday's federal indictment described the
victim, "Individual A," as a man, the newspaper
reported, saying the alleged misconduct dated
from Hastert's time as a high school wrestling
coach and teacher.
"It goes back a long way, back to then. It has
nothing to do with public corruption or a
corruption scandal. Or to his time in office," said
one source, who would not speak publicly about
the federal charges filed in Chicago.
The Washington Post said the FBI and the
Internal Revenue Service began investigating
Hastert in 2013, citing "possible structuring of
currency transactions to avoid the reporting
requirements."
As well as banking charges, he faces a count for
making "false, fictitious and fraudulent
statements to federal investigators during an
interview last December, the newspaper said.
Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker
in the history of the US House of Representatives
from 1999 to 2007, has been a high-paid lobbyist
since his retirement from Congress in 2007,
according to the Post.
Title : Ex US House speaker paid to hide sexual misconduct
Description : A former US House Speaker who has been
indicted by a federal grand jury allegedly paid off
an individual to hide past sexual misconduct, t...