Mugshot of Dennis Hastert, Cook County Sheriff's Office
… time to call out politicians for their transgressions
What is really frightening is how many Republicans have been accused and convicted of sexual abuse. Yet they continue to hammer on Bill Clinton for a terrible, ill-advised consensual affair while ignoring their own cohorts.
Dennis Hastert, once the Speaker of the House of Representatives and third in line to become president of the United States, has already served 15 months behind bars for abusing wrestlers whom he had coached many years ago.
It would have been more if not for the expired statutes of limitations that prevent molesters for obtaining justice.
Now, Hastert must pony up $2 million in hush money that he reneged on after his victim went back on the agreement.
Decision
This is what happened this week,
Disgraced former U.S. House Speaker (R-IL) Dennis Hastert has reached a tentative settlement with the man he allegedly molested years ago when the man was a teenage student and Hastert was his coach.
Hastert had promised to pay the man hush money and paid almost $1.5 million, before the payments caught the attention of federal law enforcement.
Now he’s on the hook for the rest, almost $2 million more.
The victim, identified only as John Doe in court filings, sued for breach-of-contract in a civil lawsuit. Hastert asserted that the contract was broken when Doe spoke about it.
Hastert reportedly paid the man in $50,000 increments to avoid detection by federal authorities for violating financial regulations meant to prevent money laundering and terrorism. Withdrawals larger than that amount are immediately flagged for security reasons.
After several payments that just skirted the limit, Hastert’s bank tipped off the FBI, launching an investigation that eventually unraveled the truth.
Bill Browning, “Former GOP House Speaker reaches settlement for molesting teen boy,” lgbtqnation.com, September 16, 2021
"Serial molester"
At his sentencing, Hastert was blasted by the judge,
Hastert pled guilty in 2015 to breaking banking laws and served 15 months in prison. At sentencing, the judge called him a “serial molester” who abused boys while working as a wrestling coach.
Hastert was a little-known lawmaker from suburban Chicago when chosen to succeed conservative Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) as Speaker of the House. Hastert was picked after favored Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA) resigned after he admitted to several sexual affairs.
In all, four men made credible accusations of abuse against Hastert.
Bill Browning, lgbtqnation.com, September 16, 2021
The unfortunate part is what is contained in that story. Hastert became speaker because Newt Gingrich resigned because of an extra-marital affair during the time when he voted to impeach Bill Clinton and the Republican selected to replace him, Bob Livingston, was discovered to have done the same thing.
And at the time, they were calling themselves the “Family Values Party.” After Donald Trump, you never hear those words from that party.
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