Report: Former House Speaker Hastert molested multiple boys
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In typical Washington fashion, news broke late Friday that U.S. Justice Department prosecutors determined that former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert molested as many as four young boys when he was their high school wrestling coach.
Hastert, 74, was a Republican congressman from Illinois. He was the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1999-2007 and was in Congress from 1987-2007. He was the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House.
Prosecutors recommended that Hastert be ordered to serve up to six months in prison. Due to reported health problems, Hastert's sentencing has been delayed and is now scheduled for April 27. According to a Washington Post report today, a federal judge “is not bound by that recommendation and could sentence Hastert to as much as five years in prison.”
“The actions at the core of this case took place not on the defendant's national public stage but in his private one-on-one encounters in an empty locker room and a motel room with minors that violated the special trust between those young boys and their coach,” federal prosecutors said.
Last year, Hastert pleaded guilty to managing withdrawals of money from his bank account in order to avoid bank reporting laws. The money was to compensate an alleged victim, a former Yorkville High School student and wrestler.
For more information, go to http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutors-urge-prison-sentence-dennis-hastert-n553331.
Hastert, 74, was a Republican congressman from Illinois. He was the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1999-2007 and was in Congress from 1987-2007. He was the longest-serving Republican speaker of the House.
Prosecutors recommended that Hastert be ordered to serve up to six months in prison. Due to reported health problems, Hastert's sentencing has been delayed and is now scheduled for April 27. According to a Washington Post report today, a federal judge “is not bound by that recommendation and could sentence Hastert to as much as five years in prison.”
“The actions at the core of this case took place not on the defendant's national public stage but in his private one-on-one encounters in an empty locker room and a motel room with minors that violated the special trust between those young boys and their coach,” federal prosecutors said.
Last year, Hastert pleaded guilty to managing withdrawals of money from his bank account in order to avoid bank reporting laws. The money was to compensate an alleged victim, a former Yorkville High School student and wrestler.
For more information, go to http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prosecutors-urge-prison-sentence-dennis-hastert-n553331.