Report: Dennis Hastert Paid To Conceal Sexual Abuse

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) was paying hush money to conceal sexual misconduct, The Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The Times story quotes two officials close to the investigation who confirm that the “prior misconduct” mentioned in the indictment against Dennis Hastert was in fact sexual in nature. The sources further confirmed that the individual whom Hastert was paying off — identified in the indictment only as “Individual A” — was a man whom Hastert had known during his time as a high-school gym coach and teacher.

The source confirmed that Hastert’s misconduct “has nothing to do with public corruption or a corruption scandal. Or to his time in office.”

The two-count indictment did not elaborate on the nature of the misconduct Hastert was charged with attempting to conceal. However, it did mention that Hastert had been a high-school teacher in Yorkville, Illinois from 1965 to 1981, and that Individual A was a lifelong resident of Yorkville who had known Hastert for most of his life, fuelling media speculation that the misconduct may have been sexual abuse of a former student.

ViaLos Angeles Times

Picture: Official Portrait of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL), via House.gov.