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Dennis Hastert 'paid hush money to cover up sex abuse' | Dennis Hastert 'paid hush money to cover up sex abuse' |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Prosecutors are seeking a six-month jail sentence for disgraced former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is alleged to have paid hush money to cover up sex abuse. | Prosecutors are seeking a six-month jail sentence for disgraced former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who is alleged to have paid hush money to cover up sex abuse. |
Court documents say Hastert agreed to pay $3.5m (£2.5m) to a person he sexually abused when the victim was aged 14 and Hastert was working as a teacher and wrestling coach. | Court documents say Hastert agreed to pay $3.5m (£2.5m) to a person he sexually abused when the victim was aged 14 and Hastert was working as a teacher and wrestling coach. |
Prosecutors allege he abused five boys. | |
The 74-year-old has admitted lying and breaking financial laws. | The 74-year-old has admitted lying and breaking financial laws. |
The plea represents a dramatic fall for the former senior Republican politician, who has had his portrait removed from the House of Representatives in the US Congress. | The plea represents a dramatic fall for the former senior Republican politician, who has had his portrait removed from the House of Representatives in the US Congress. |
The alleged abuse happened while Hastert was working in Yorkville, a suburb of Chicago, between 1965 and 1981. Three of the victims were wrestlers on a team he coached. | The alleged abuse happened while Hastert was working in Yorkville, a suburb of Chicago, between 1965 and 1981. Three of the victims were wrestlers on a team he coached. |
He cannot be charged with sexual abuse as the statute of limitations has expired in the cases. | |
One of the victims - referred to in court documents as Individual A - said Hastert had stayed with him in a motel room on the way back from a trip to a wrestling camp and touched him inappropriately. | |
Two of the others, aged 14 and 17, said Hastert had performed sex acts on them in the locker room at the high school in Yorkville. | Two of the others, aged 14 and 17, said Hastert had performed sex acts on them in the locker room at the high school in Yorkville. |
All the victims "struggled and are still struggling" with what Hastert did to them, prosecutors argue. Hastert made them feel "alone, ashamed, guilty and devoid of dignity", they say. | All the victims "struggled and are still struggling" with what Hastert did to them, prosecutors argue. Hastert made them feel "alone, ashamed, guilty and devoid of dignity", they say. |
Hastert, who retired in 2007 after serving as House Speaker for eight years, will be sentenced later this month for concealing the large sums of money he paid to Individual A to buy his silence. | Hastert, who retired in 2007 after serving as House Speaker for eight years, will be sentenced later this month for concealing the large sums of money he paid to Individual A to buy his silence. |
Between 2010 and 2012 he withdrew $750,000 in lump sums of $50,000 before learning of rules requiring banks to report large transactions. | Between 2010 and 2012 he withdrew $750,000 in lump sums of $50,000 before learning of rules requiring banks to report large transactions. |
After that he withdrew a further $952,000 in lump sums of less than $10,000 between 2012 and 2014. | After that he withdrew a further $952,000 in lump sums of less than $10,000 between 2012 and 2014. |
He was able to pay Individual A $1.7m in payments of $100,000 before being questioned by the FBI in 2014 about his withdrawals. | |
One of the reasons he gave for the large withdrawals was that he was being blackmailed by someone making a false claim of sex abuse. | |
He agreed to let investigators record phone conversations he had with Individual A, but prosecutors said the "tone and comments" of Individual A in the conversations were "inconsistent with someone committing extortion". | |
In a deal with prosecutors, he admitted the charge of "structuring and assisting in structuring currency transactions" by removing small sums of money to avoid the transactions being reported. | In a deal with prosecutors, he admitted the charge of "structuring and assisting in structuring currency transactions" by removing small sums of money to avoid the transactions being reported. |
However, the charge of lying to FBI investigators is set to be dropped. | |
Defence lawyers want Hastert to be spared jail because they say he is suffering from ill health. | Defence lawyers want Hastert to be spared jail because they say he is suffering from ill health. |
He is due to be sentenced on 27 April. | He is due to be sentenced on 27 April. |