does this mean he doesn’t have to pay any more ? oh wait, he’s being sued for the rest.
did the person who received the money have to report it to the IRS ?
Normally one giving the "gift" is responsible for paying the gift taxes if any is due. The lifetime exemption is over $5M, so he probably doesn't owe any taxes. However, Hastert should have reported the gift if it exceeded the yearly amount of ~$14K. It would seem to me if Hastert doesn't claim blackmail, then it is a gift.