Dennis Hastert paid to conceal sexual misconduct, sources say

L.A. Times ^ | 5/29/2015 | RICHARD A. SERRANO AND TIMOTHY M. PHELPS contact the reporters

[Callahan]

Indicted former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was paying an individual from his past to conceal sexual misconduct, two federal law enforcement officials said Friday.

One of the officials, who would not speak publicly about the federal charges in Chicago, said “Individual A,” as the person is described in Thursday’s federal indictment, was a man and that the alleged misconduct was unrelated to Hastert’s tenure in Congress. The actions date to Hastert’s time as a Yorkville, Ill., high school wrestling coach and teacher, the official said.

[Alter Kaker]

I guess I figure that only someone who knows they're guilty and, somewhere deep down inside, are ashamed of it, would pay hush money.

Either that or he realized that substantiated allegations of child molestation (which these apparently are) could be bad for business. I don't see any morality here, sorry.

[null and void]

The biggest killer of mankind

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

[Rusty0604]

I thought it was interesting that, all these years, Americans have had there private property and businesses taken away from them for the sole reason of depositing and withdrawing cash. This is what they used to catch Hastert. It was only a short time ago that congress finally got around to holding hearings and trying to stop this practice. Coincidence?

[bgill]

Hasn’t this long passed the statute of limitations?

[ilovesarah2012]

From Illinois so no.

[Twinkie]

I think it has been known for a long time; but was being held until the “time” was right to do the most damage to Republicans.

[x]

Unless their are pictures, he should’ve just let it go public and denied it.

Once the story got out, the press would never let it go and his career would be over.

But it is a little ironic that if he'd been more ruthless and not willing to let anything get in his way, the story might never have come out.

[Humidston]

Can anyone explain the source of this "Public Servant's" several accounts of Millions of dollars??

The whole joint is nothing but a pit of vipers!

[cherry]

I am suspicious when I read somewhere that the FBI was "concerned" about Hasterts safety and decided to investigate....

Ha!

thus whole thing is a setup big time by TPTB.....

who cares if Denny H. paid someone to keep quiet....personally, I think he should have just faced the charges openly, but that's just me...

but the only crime I see here is giving money to someone and that someone has not claimed it....WHAT'S HIS NAME AND WHY ISN"T HE IN BIG TROUBLE?

[Theodore R.]

Some IL blackmailer just lost his free gravy: too bad; it is IL.

[Theodore R.]

Goodness, you must think the American people are incapable of choosing “good” “leaders.”
.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

I would not be surprised if the numbers are 80%.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

I don’t doubt it for a second.

[generally]

Possibility: While he was in office the payments were in the former of votes. After he was out of office, he may have still had enough influence to be useful. By 2010, with influence waning, cash was the payment of choice.

[generally]

“DC somehow robs people of ethics and morals.DC somehow robs people of ethics and morals”

... or maybe DC just attracts people who are immoral and unethical to start with.

I believe it is possible, but extremely difficult, to be elected to most offices without being corrupt.

[bert]

lead should have been the payment medium

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

Setting aside for the moment why Hastert was paying the blackmail, how many Freepers think the federal government has a right to know why you are taking your own cash out of your own bank account??

[DariusBane]

Bill Got hard also a Wheaton grad.

[apoliticalone]

Immoral unethical activity opens the door to bribery and blackmail. The spy industry knows that and has used it regularly.

How many wrong-headed trade bills, laws or wars of non-benefit to the American citizens would he or Bill Clinton etc. have pushed to keep their dalliances private?

If everyone’s activities and communications are tracked by government, how long will it be before those that make it to the halls of power will have their bad activities (and I will wager that many have stuff in their closet that they do not want exposed) used as black mail fodder. The use of spying and technology will not make us a more ethical, more fair, more free, and more democratic country.

[apoliticalone]

I don’t think they have any right to know “why you are taking your own cash out of your own bank account??”

They have more of a right to know where the cash came from that goes into my bank account, but not where it goes. Yet they refuse to disclose where ALL the money comes from that goes to politicians.

Every freedom and right we once had is being nullified to some extent under the “War on Terror” and “War on Drugs”. They do nothing to prosecute illegals and their employers.

Some continue to say if you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about. It is the trend that is not your friend.