Dennis Hastert | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait,c. 2003–2005 | |
| 51stSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 6, 1999 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Newt Gingrich |
| Succeeded by | Nancy Pelosi |
| Leader of theHouse Republican Conference | |
| In office January 6, 1999 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Newt Gingrich |
| Succeeded by | John Boehner |
| House Republican Chief Deputy Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 | |
| Leader | Newt Gingrich |
| Preceded by | Bob Walker |
| Succeeded by | Roy Blunt |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's14th district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – November 26, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | John Grotberg |
| Succeeded by | Bill Foster |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives from the 82nd district | |
| In office January 1983 – January 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Edward Petka |
| Member of theIllinois House of Representatives from the 39th district | |
| In office January 1981 – January 1983 Serving with Sue Deuchler, Laz Murphy | |
| Preceded by | William Kempiners Al Schoeberlein |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth Cole |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Dennis Hastert (1942-01-02)January 2, 1942 (age 83) Aurora, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | North Central College Wheaton College, Illinois (BA) Northern Illinois University (MS) |
| Signature |  |
Hastert supporting a House resolution expressing appreciation for participants inOperation Iraqi Freedom. Recorded March 20, 2003 | |
John Dennis Hastert (/ˈhæstərt/HASS-tərt; born January 2, 1942) is an American former politician, teacher, wrestling coach, and convicted sex offender who representedIllinois's 14th congressional district from 1987 to 2007 and served as the 51stspeaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007.[1] Hastert was the 6thlongest-serving Speaker of the House in history and the longest servingRepublican. After Democrats gained a majority in the House in 2007, Hastert resigned and began work as a lobbyist. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for financial offenses related to the sexual abuse of teenage boys.[2][3]
From 1965 to 1981, Hastert was a high school teacher and coach atYorkville High School inYorkville, Illinois. He lost a 1980 bid for theIllinois House of Representatives but ran again and won a seat in 1981. He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1986 and was re-elected every two years until he retired in 2007. Hastert rose through the Republican ranks in the House, becomingchief deputy whip in 1995 and speaker in 1999. As Speaker of the House, Hastert supported theGeorge W. Bush administration's foreign and domestic policies. After Democrats took control of the House in 2007 following the2006 elections, Hastert declined to seek the position of minority leader, resigned his House seat, and became a lobbyist at the firm ofDickstein Shapiro.
In May 2015, Hastert was indicted on federal charges ofstructuring bank withdrawals to evadebank reporting requirements andmaking false statements to federal investigators. Federal prosecutors said that the funds withdrawn by Hastert were used ashush money to conceal his past sexual misconduct.[4][3] In October 2015, Hastert entered into aplea agreement with prosecutors. Under the agreement, Hastertpleaded guilty to the structuring charge (afelony); the charge of making false statements was dropped.[5]
In court submissions filed in April 2016, federal prosecutors alleged that Hastert hadmolested at least four boys as young as 14 years of age during his time as a high school wrestling coach.[2] At a sentencing hearing, Hastert admitted that he had sexually abused boys whom he had coached.[6] Referring to Hastert as a "serial child molester", a federal judge imposed a sentence of 15 months in prison, two years'supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.[3][7] Hastert was imprisoned in 2016 and was released 13 months later.[8] He became the highest-ranking elected official in U.S. history to serve a prison sentence.[3][9]
Hastert was born on January 2, 1942, inAurora, Illinois, the eldest of two sons of Naomi (née Nussle) and Jack Hastert.[10][11] Hastert is ofLuxembourgish andNorwegian descent on his father's side, and ofGerman descent on his mother's.[12]
Hastert grew up in a rural Illinois farming community. His middle-class family owned a farm supply business and a family farm; Hastert bagged and hauled feed and performed farm chores.[11][13] As a young man, Hastert also worked shifts in the family'sPlainfield restaurant, The Clock Tower, where he was afry cook.[11][14] Hastert became aborn-again Christian as a teenager, during his sophomore year of high school.[11][15] Hastert attendedOswego High School, where he was a starwrestler andfootball player.[11][13]
Hastert briefly attendedNorth Central College, but later transferred toWheaton College, a Christianliberal arts college.[13] Jim Parnalee, Hastert's roommate at North Central who transferred with him to Wheaton, was aMarine Corps Reserve member who in 1965 became the school's first student to bekilled in Vietnam. Hastert continued to visit Parnalee's family each year in Michigan.[13][15] Because of a wrestling injury, Hastert never served in the military. In 1964, Hastert graduated from Wheaton with aB.A. in economics.[11][13][16] In 1967, he received hisM.S. inphilosophy of education fromNorthern Illinois University (NIU).[11][16] In his first year of graduate school, Hastert spent three months in Japan as part of thePeople to People Student Ambassador Program.[17] One of Hastert's fellow group members isTony Podesta (then the president of the Young Democrats atUniversity of Illinois at Chicago Circle).[17]
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Hastert was employed byYorkville Community Unit School District 115 for 16 years, from 1965 to 1981.[18] Hastert began working there, at age 23, while still attending NIU.[11] Throughout that time, Hastert worked as a teacher atYorkville High School (teaching government, history, economics, and sociology), where he also served as a football and wrestling coach.[11][19] Hastert led the school's wrestling team to the 1976 state title and was later named Illinois Coach of the Year.[11] According to federal prosecutors, during the time that he coached wrestling, Hastert sexually abused at least four of his students.[20]
Hastert was aBoy Scout volunteer withExplorer Post 540 of Yorkville for 17 years, during his time as a schoolteacher and coach.[21] Hastert reportedly traveled with the Explorers on trips to theGrand Canyon, theBahamas,Minnesota, and theGreen River in Utah.[21][22]
In 1973, Hastert married a fellow teacher at the high school, Jean Kahl, with whom he had two sons.[13]
Hastert considered applying to become an assistant principal at the school, but then decided to enter politics, although at the time "he knew nothing about politics."[11] Hastert approached Phyllis Oldenburg, a Republican operative inKendall County, seeking advice on running for a seat in theIllinois Legislature.[11]
Hastert lost a 1980 Republicanprimary for theIllinois House of Representatives, but showed a talent for campaigning, and after the election, volunteered for an influentialstate senator,John E. Grotberg.[11] In the summer of 1980, however, State Representative Al Schoeberiein had become terminally ill, and local Republican party officials selected Hastert as the successor over two major rivals, lawyerTom Johnson ofWest Chicago and Mayor Richard Verbic ofElgin.[13][15] The first round of balloting resulted in a tie, but Hastert was chosen after Grotberg interceded on Hastert's behalf.[13] Hastert, fellow RepublicanSuzanne Deuchler and Democratic incumbentLawrence Murphy were elected that year.[23]
Hastert served three terms in the state House from the 82nd district,[15][24] where he served on the Appropriations Committee.[13] According to a 1999Chicago Tribune profile, in the state House "Hastert quickly staked out a place on the far right of the political spectrum, once earning a place on the 'Moral Majority Honor Roll.' Yet, he also displayed yeoman-like work habits and an ability to put aside partisanship."[15] He gained a reputation as a dealmaker and party leader known for "asking his colleagues to write their spending requests on a notepad so he could carry them into negotiating sessions" and holding early-morning pre-meetings to organize talking points.[13] One of his first moves in the House was to help block passage of theEqual Rights Amendment; the state House SpeakerGeorge Ryan appointed Hastert to a committee that worked to prevent the ERA from coming to the House floor.[15] In the state House, Hastert opposedbills barring discrimination against gays; supported (unsuccessfully) proposals to raise thedriving age to 18; and voted for amandatory seat belt law, although he later voted to repeal it.[15]
In 1986, at the urging ofGovernorJames R. Thompson, Hastert developed a plan to deregulate Illinois utility companies.[15] Under the plan developed by Hastert and Republican staffers,property andgross-receipts taxes that utilities paid would be eliminated and replaced with a "state service tax" that service-industry businesses (ranging from insurers to funeral homes) would pay.[15] Critics of the plan said that it was too favorable to utility companies, and the proposal was not adopted.[15]
Meanwhile, Hastert's political mentor Grotberg had been elected to Congress as the representative fromIllinois's 14th district, which covered a swath of exurban territory west of Chicago. Grotberg was diagnosed withcancer in 1986, and was unable to run for a second term.[11][13] Hastert was nominated to replace him; in the general election in November 1986, he defeated Democratic candidate Mary Lou Kearns, theKane Countycoroner, in a relatively close race.[11][13]
Hastert was then reelected in hisFox Valley-centered district several times, by wider margins, aided by his role inredistricting following the1990 Census.[13]
Following theHouse banking scandal, which broke in 1992, it was revealed that Hastert hadbounced 44 checks during the period under investigation.[15][25] A Justice Department special counsel said there was no reason to believe Hastert had committed any crime in overdrawing his accounts.[25]
As a protégé ofHouse Minority LeaderRobert H. Michel, Hastert rose through the Republican ranks in the House, and in 1995 (after the Republicans gained control of the House andNewt Gingrich became Speaker), Hastert became chief deputywhip.[13] Michel appointed Hastert to the Republicans' health care task force,[15] where Hastert became a "prominent voice" in helping defeat theClinton health care plan of 1993.[26][27]
Hastert developed a close working relationship withTom DeLay, the House majority whip, and was widely seen as DeLay's deputy.[13] Hastert and DeLay first worked together in 1989, onEdward Madigan's unsuccessful race against Gingrich for minority whip. Hastert later managed DeLay's successful campaign to become whip.[13] In September 1998, the two added an extra $250,000 to the Defense Department appropriations bill for "pharmacokinetics research" which paid for an Army experiment withnicotine chewing gum manufactured by the Amurol Confections Company in Yorkville, in Hastert's district.[13][28] On the House floor, Democratic RepresentativePeter DeFazio criticized the insertion of the provision; Hastert defended it.[28] Hastert played "good cop" to DeLay's "bad cop."[29][30]
On the eve of his elevation to Speaker, Hastert was described as "deeply conservative at heart" by theAssociated Press.[31] The AP reported: "He is anevangelical Christian who opposesabortion and advocates lower taxes, abalanced-budget amendment to theConstitution and thedeath penalty. He spearheaded the GOP's fight against using sampling techniques to take the next census. Such groups as theNational Right to Life Committee, theChristian Coalition, theChamber of Commerce and theNRA Political Victory Fund all gave his voting record perfect scores of 100. TheAmerican Conservative Union gave him an 88. Meanwhile, the liberalAmericans for Democratic Action, theAmerican Civil Liberties Union and labor organizations such as theAFL–CIO and theTeamsters each gave Hastert zero points. TheLeague of Conservation Voters rated him a 13."[31]
Hastert criticized theClinton administration's plans to conduct the2000 Census using sampling techniques.[13] Hastert was a supporter of theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and in 1993 voted to approve the trade pact.[32] He was agun rights supporter who voted against theBrady Handgun Violence Prevention Act andFederal Assault Weapons Ban.[15]
Hastert was the "House Republicans' leader on anti-narcotics efforts"[31] and was a strong supporter of theWar on Drugs.[13][33] In this role, he campaigned to barneedle-exchange programs from receiving federal funds,[31] and criticized the Clinton administration for what he believed was insufficient funding fordrug interdiction efforts.[13][33]
In redistricting following the2000 census, Hastert brokered a deal with Democratic RepresentativeWilliam Lipinski, also from Illinois, that "protected the reelection prospects of almost every Illinois incumbent."[34] The deal easily passed the divided Illinois Legislature.[34]
Hastert served on the following Housecommittees and in the following House positions. (This list does not include subcommittee assignments or positions within the Republican Conference).
In the aftermath of the1998 midterm elections, where the GOP lost five House seats and failed to make a net gain of seats in the Senate, House SpeakerNewt Gingrich ofGeorgia stepped down from the speakership and declined to take his seat for an 11th term. In mid-December, RepresentativeRobert L. Livingston ofLouisiana—the former chairman of theHouse Appropriations Committee and the Speaker-designate—stated in a dramatic surprise announcement on the House floor that he would not become Speaker, following widely publicized revelations of his extramarital affairs.[26][46][47]
Although he reportedly had no warning of Livingston's decision to step aside, Hastert "began lobbying on the House floor within moments" of Livingston's announcement, and by the afternoon of that day had secured the public backing of the House Republican leadership, including Gingrich, DeLay (who was "viewed as too partisan to step into the role of Speaker") andDick Armey (who was "viewed as too weak" and was damaged by party infighting).[26][47] On that day, Hastert was endorsed by about 100 Republican representatives, ranging from conservatives such asSteve Largent to moderates such asMike Castle, for the speakership.[47] RepresentativeChristopher Cox of California, viewed as a potential rival, decided by evening not to challenge Hastert for the speakership.[47] Hastert became known as "the Accidental Speaker."[48][49]
In accepting the position, Hastert broke the tradition that the new speaker deliver his first address from the speaker's chair, instead delivering his 17-minute acceptance speech from the floor.[50] Hastert adopted a conciliatory tone and pledged to work for bipartisanship, saying that: "Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness."[50][51]
Nevertheless, in November 2004, Hastert instituted what became known as theHastert Rule (or "majority of the majority" rule), which was an informal, self-imposed political practice of allowing the House to vote on only those bills that were supported by the majority of its Republican members. The practice received criticism as an unduly partisan measure both at the time it was adopted and in the subsequent years.[52][53] The same year, the Hastert aide who coined the phrase also stated that the structure was not workable.[54] In any case, a number of bills subsequently passed the House without the support of a majority of the majority party in the House, as shown by a list compiled byThe New York Times.[55] In 2013, after leaving office, Hastert disowned the policy, saying that "there is no Hastert Rule" and that the "rule" was more of a principle that the majority party should follow its own policies.[56]
Congressional expertNorm Ornstein writes that Hastert "blew up" the House's "regular order," which is "a mix of rules and norms that allows debate, deliberation, and amendments in committees and on the House floor, that incorporates and does not shut out the minority (even if it still loses most of the time), that takes bills that pass both houses to a conference committee to reconcile differences, [and] that allows time for members and staff to read, digest, and analyze bills."[57] Ornstein commented that "no speaker did more to relegate the regular order to the sidelines than Hastert. ... The House is a very partisan institution, with rules structured to give even tiny majorities enormous leverage. But Hastert took those realities to a new and more tribalized, partisan plane."[57] Despite this shift, Hastert was widely seen as "affable" and low-key; he did not seek the limelight, "become a regular onSunday talk shows or anything close to a household word or figure," or "openly exhibit the kind of snarling or mean partisan demeanor that made Tom DeLay such a mark of hatred for Democrats."[57]
Hastert adopted a much lower profile in the media than conventional wisdom would suggest for a Speaker. This led to accusations that he was only afigurehead for DeLay.[58] In 2005,DeLay was indicted by a Texasgrand jury on charges of campaign finance violations. DeLay stepped down as majority leader and was replaced in that post byRoy Blunt; DeLay resigned from Congress the following year.[59][60]
Throughout his term, Hastert was a strong supporter of PresidentGeorge W. Bush's foreign and domestic policies. Hastert was described as a Bush loyalist who worked closely with the White House to shepherd Bush's agenda through Congress,[11][61] The two frequently praised each other, expressed mutual respect, and had a close working relationship, even duringthe controversy over RepresentativeMark Foley sending sexually explicit text messages to teenage male pages.[62][63] Hastert even provided Vice PresidentDick Cheney office space inside the House in theUnited States Capitol.[64] In 2003, Hastert and Bush met privately at theWhite House about twice a month to discuss congressional developments.[63]
Earmarks—line-item projects inserted into appropriations bills at the request of individual members, and often referred to as "pork-barrel" spending—"exploded under [Hastert's] leadership," growing from $12 billion in 1999 (at the beginning of Hastert's term) to an all-time high of $29 billion in 2006 (Hastert's last year as speaker).[48] Hastert himself made earmarks a personal trademark; from 1999 to May 2005, Hastert obtained $24 million in federal earmarked grant funds to groups and institutions inAurora, Illinois, Hastert's birthplace and his district's largest city.[65]
In March 1999, soon after Hastert's elevation to the speakership, theWashington Post, in a front-page story, reported that Hastert "has begun offering industry lobbyists the kind of deal they like: private audiences where, for a price, they can voice their views on what kind of agenda the106th Congress should pursue."[66] Hastert's style and extensive fundraising ledCommon Cause to critique the "pay-to-play system" in Congress.[66]
Hastert was known as a frequent critic ofBill Clinton, and immediately upon assuming the speakership, he "played a lead role" in theimpeachment of the president.[67] Nevertheless, Hastert and the Clinton administration did work together on several initiatives, including theNew Markets Tax Credit Program andPlan Colombia.[26]
In 2000, Hastert announced he would support anArmenian genocide resolution. Analysts noted that at the time there was a tight congressional race in California, in which might be important to have the largeArmenian community in favor of the Republican incumbent. The resolution, vehemently opposed by Turkey, had passed the Human Rights Subcommittee of the House and the International Relations Committee, but Hastert, although first supporting it, withdrew the resolution on the eve of the full House vote. He explained this by saying that he had received a letter from Clinton asking him to withdraw it because it would harm U.S. interests.[68] Even though there is no evidence that a payment was made, an official at the Turkish Consulate is said to have claimed in a recording that was translated bySibel Edmonds that the price for Hastert to withdraw the Armenian genocide resolution would have been at least $500,000.[69][70]
"Hastert and the senior Republican leadership in the House were able to maintainparty discipline to a great degree", which allowed them to regularly enact legislation, despite a narrow majority (less than 12 seats) in the 106th and 107th Congresses.[71] Hastert was a strong supporter of theIraq War Resolution and the ensuing2003 invasion of Iraq and theIraq War. Hastert stated in the House in October 2002 that he believed there was "a directconnection between Iraq and al-Qaeda" and that the U.S. should "do all that we can to disarmSaddam Hussein's regime before they provideal-Qaeda withweapons of mass destruction."[72] In a February 2003 interview with theChicago Tribune, Hastert "launched into a lengthy and passionate denunciation" of France's resistance to the Iraq war and stated that he wanted to go "nose-to-nose" with the country.[73] In 2006, Hastert visited Iraq at Bush's request and supported asupplemental Iraq War spending bill.[74]
As Speaker, Hastert shepherded theUSA Patriot Act in October 2001 to passage in the House on a 357–66 vote.[75] In a 2011 interview, Hastert claimed credit for its passage over the misgivings of many members.[75] Fourteen years later, federal prosecutors used the Patriot Act's expansion ofcurrency transaction reporting requirements to indict Hastert on federal charges.[75]
As speaker, Hastert also oversaw the passage of theNo Child Left Behind Act of 2001, a major education bill; theBush tax cuts in2001 and2003 legislation; and theHomeland Security Act of 2002, which reorganized the government and created theDepartment of Homeland Security.[71] Although Hastert was successful in implementing Bush policy priorities, during his tenure the House also "regularly passed conservative bills only to have them blocked in the more moderate Senate."[71] One such bill was an energy bill, backed by the Bush administration, which would have authorizeddrilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; this provision was killed in the Senate.[71]
Hastert opposed theBipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold), the landmarkcampaign finance reform law.[31] In 2001, during the debate on the bill, Hastert criticized Republican SenatorJohn McCain, the bill's cosponsor, saying that McCain had "bullied" House Republicans by sending them letters in support of his campaign-finance reform proposals.[76] Hastert called the legislation "the worst thing that ever happened to Congress"[77] and expressed the view that there were "constitutional flaws" in the legislation.[78] Supporters of campaign-finance reform circumvented Hastert by means of adischarge petition, a seldom-used procedural mechanism in which a measure may be brought to a floor vote (over the objections of the speaker) if an absolute majority of Representatives sign a petition in support of doing so.[48] The discharge petition was not successfully used again[79] until 2015.[80]
In 2004, Hastert again feuded with McCain amid conflict between the House and the Senate over the 2005 budget.[81] After "McCain gave a speech excoriating both political parties for refusing to sacrifice their tax cutting and spending agendas in wartime," Hastert publicly questioned McCain's "credentials as a Republican and suggested that the decorated Vietnam War veteran did not understand the meaning of sacrifice."[81]
Hastert was key to the passage in November 2003 ofkey Medicare legislation which createdMedicare Part D, a prescription drug benefit.[82] Hastert's push to pass the legislation—culminating in a three-hour House vote in which the Speaker, "an imposing former wrestling coach, was literally leaning on recalcitrant lawmakers to win their support"—raised the Speaker's profile and contributed to a shift of his image from amiable and low-key to more forceful.[82] The extension of the vote for hours and the arm-twisting of members brought condemnation of Hastert from Democrats, with House Minority WhipSteny H. Hoyer saying: "They are corrupting the practices of the House."[82] The bill passed on a narrow vote of 220 to 215.[83]
In 2004, Hoyer called upon Hastert to initiate a House Ethics Committee investigation into statements by RepresentativeNick Smith, a Republican ofMichigan, who stated that groups and lawmakers had offered support for his son's campaign for Congress in exchange for Smith's support of the Medicare bill.[83] In October 2004, the House Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for pressuring Smith on the Medicare prescription-drug bill, but stated that DeLay did not break the law or House ethics rules.[84] Hastert issued a statement supporting DeLay, but the admonishment was viewed as harming DeLay's chances of succeeding Hastert as Speaker.[84]
On October 27, 2005, Hastert became the first Speaker to author ablog.[85] On "Speaker's Journal" on his official U.S. House website, Hastert wrote in his first post: "This is Denny Hastert and welcome to my blog. This is new to me. I can't say I'm much of a techie. I guess you could say my office is teaching the old guy new tricks. But I'm excited. This is the future. And it is a new way for us to get our message out."[86]
On June 1, 2006, Hastert became the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history, surpassing the record previously held by fellow IllinoisanJoseph Gurney Cannon, who held the post from November 1903 to March 1911.[87][88]
In 2005, followingHurricane Katrina, Hastert told an Illinois newspaper that "It looks like a lot of that place [referring toNew Orleans] could be bulldozed" and stated that spending billions of dollars to rebuild the devastated city "doesn't make sense to me."[89] The remarks enragedGovernorKathleen Blanco ofLouisiana, who stated that Hastert's comments were "absolutely unthinkable for a leader in his position" and demanded an immediate apology.[89] Former PresidentBill Clinton, responding to the remarks, stated that had they been in the same place when the remarks were made, "I'm afraid I would have assaulted him."[89] After the remarks caused a furor, Hastert issued a statement saying he was not "advocating that the city be abandoned or relocated" and later issued another statement saying that "Our prayers and sympathies continue to be with the victims of Hurricane Katrina."[89] Hastert was also criticized for being absent from the Capitol during the approval of a $10.5 billion Katrina relief plan; Hastert was in Indiana attending a colleague's fundraiser and anantique car auction. Hastert later said that he donated the proceeds from one of the antique cars he sold at the auction to hurricane relief efforts.[89]
When theUnited States House Committee on Ethics recommended a series of reprimands against Majority LeaderTom DeLay, Hastert fired committee ChairmanJoel Hefley, (R-CO), as well as committee membersKenny Hulshof, (R-MO) andSteve LaTourette, (R-OH).[57] After DeLay's associates were indicted, Hastert enacted a new rule allowing DeLay to keep the majority leadership even if DeLay himself was indicted.[57]
A September 2005 article inVanity Fair revealed that during her work, former FBI translatorSibel Edmonds had heard Turkish wiretap targets boast of covert relations with Hastert. The article states, "the targets reportedly discussed giving Hastert tens of thousands of dollars in surreptitious payments in exchange for political favors and information."[69] A spokesman for Hastert later denied the claims, relating them to theJennifer Aniston–Brad Pitt breakup.[90] Following his congressional career, Hastert received a $35,000 per month contract lobbying on behalf of Turkey.[91]
In December 2006, the House Ethics Committee determined that Hastert and other congressional leaders were "willfully ignorant" in responding to early warnings of theMark Foley congressional page scandal, but did not violate any House rules.[92][93] In a committee statement,Kirk Fordham, who was Foley's chief of staff until 2005, said that he had alertedScott B. Palmer, Hastert's chief of staff, to Foley's inappropriate advances toward congressional pages in 2002 or 2003, asking congressional leadership to intervene.[93] Then-House Majority LeaderJohn Boehner andNational Republican Congressional Committee chairThomas M. Reynolds stated that they told Hastert about Foley's conduct in spring 2005.[93] A Hastert spokesman stated that "what Kirk Fordham said did not happen."[93] Hastert also stated that he could not recall conversations with Boehner and Reynolds, and that he did not learn of Foley's conduct until late September 2006, when the affair became public.[93]
In 2006, Hastert became embroiled in controversy over his championing of a $207 millionearmark (inserted in the2005 omnibus highway bill) for thePrairie Parkway, a proposed expressway running through his district.[94][95][96] TheSunlight Foundation accused Hastert of failing to disclose that the construction of the highway would benefit a land investment that Hastert and his wife made in nearby land in 2004 and 2005. Hastert took an unusually active role advancing the bill, even though it was opposed by a majority of area residents and by theIllinois Department of Transportation.[97] When he became frustrated by negotiations with White House staff, Hastert began working on the bill directly with President Bush.[97] After passage, Bush traveled to Hastert's district for the law'ssigning ceremony.[97]
Four months later Hastert sold the land for a 500% profit.[97] Hastert's net worth went from $300,000 to at least $6.2 million.[97] Hastert received five-eighths of the proceeds of the sale of the land, turning a $1.8 million profit in under two years.[95][96][98] Hastert'sownership interest in the tract was not apublic record because the land was held by ablindland trust, Little Rock Trust No. 225.[94] There were three partners in the trust: Hastert, Thomas Klatt, and Dallas Ingemunson. However, public documents only named Ingemunson, who was the Kendall County Republican Party chairman and Hastert's personal attorney and longtime friend.[94][98] Hastert denied any wrongdoing.[95] In October 2006,Norman Ornstein and Scott Lilly wrote that the Prairie Parkway affair was "worse than FoleyGate" and called for Hastert's resignation.[97]
In 2012, after Hastert had departed from Congress, the highway project was killed after federal regulators retracted the 2008 approval of anenvironmental impact statement for the project and agreed to anIllinois Department of Transportation request to redirect the funds for other projects.[99] Environmentalists, who opposed the project, celebrated its cancellation.[99]
In 2006, Hastert (along with then-Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi) criticized anFBI search of RepresentativeWilliam J. Jefferson'sCapitol Hill office in connection with a corruption investigation. Hastert issued a lengthy statement saying that the raid violated theseparation of powers, and later complained directly to President Bush about the matter.[100][101]
Before the2006 elections, Hastert expressed his intent to seek reelection as Speaker if the Republicans maintained control of the House. Hastert was reelected for an eleventh term to his seat in the House with nearly 60 percent of the vote, but that year the Republicans lost control of both the Senate and the House to the Democrats following a wave of voter discontent with theIraq War, the Federal response toHurricane Katrina, and a series of scandals among congressional Republicans.[102] The day after the November election, Hastert announced he would not seek to become minority leader when the110th Congress convened in January 2007.[103] Later that month,John Boehner ofOhio defeatedMike Pence of Indiana in a 168–27 vote of theHouse Republican Conference election to become minority leader for the 110th Congress.[104] TheHouse Democratic Caucus unanimously selected House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi to be Speaker (succeeding Hastert) for the 110th Congress.[104]
In October 2007, following months of rumors that Hastert would not serve out his term, the Capitol Hill newspaperRoll Call reported that Hastert had decided to resign from the House before the end of the year, triggering aspecial election.[105]
On November 15, 2007, Hastert delivered afarewell speech on the House floor, emphasizing the need for civility in politics; Hastert's speech was followed by remarks from Pelosi praising Hastert's service.[106][107] On November 26, 2007, Hastert submitted his resignation.[108]
Financial disclosure documents indicate that Hastert made a fortune from land deals during his time in Congress.[94] Hastert entered Congress in 1987 with anet worth of no more than $270,000.[18] At the time, his most valuable asset was a 104-acre farm in southern Illinois (which his wife had inherited), worth between $50,000 and $100,000.[94] When Hastert left Congress twenty years later, he reported a significantly increased net worth, variously reported as between $4 million and $17 million[18] and between $3.1 million and $11.3 million.[94] Much of this increase in net worth was the result of various real-estate investments during Hastert's time in Congress (including the controversial land deal several miles from the proposedPrairie Parkway site).[94] At the time Hastert left Congress, much of his net worth remained tied up in real-estate holdings.[18]
State SenatorChris Lauzen,GenevaMayor Kevin Burns, and wealthy dairy businessmanJim Oberweis all entered the campaign for the Republican nomination to succeed Hastert.[109] In December 2007, Hastert endorsed Oberweis in the primary, and Burns withdrew from the race.[109] In the contentious February 2008 primary election, Oberweis was chosen as the Republican nominee, andFermilab scientistBill Foster was selected as the Democratic nominee. In the special election in March 2008 to fill the rest of Hastert's unexpired term, Foster won a surprise victory over Oberweis.[110] In a rematch in the November 2008 elections for a full two-year term, Foster again defeated Oberweis.[111]
In May 2008, six months after resigning from Congress, the Washington, D.C.-basedlaw firm andlobbying firmDickstein Shapiro announced that Hastert was joining the firm as a senior adviser.[112] Hastert waited until the legally required "cooling-off period" had passed in order to register as a lobbyist.[112] Over the next several years, Hastert earned millions of dollars lobbying his former congressional colleagues on a range of issues, mostly involvingcongressional appropriations.[113]
According toForeign Agents Registration Act filings, Hastert represented foreign governments, including thegovernment of Luxembourg andgovernment of Turkey.[112] During parts of 2009, Hastert also lobbied on behalf ofOak Brook, Illinois-based real estate developerCenterPoint Properties, lobbying for the placement of a majorArmy Reserve transportation facility.[112][113] Hastert also representedLorillard Tobacco Co., which paid Dickstein Shapiro almost $8 million from 2011 to 2014 to lobby on behalf of candy-flavored tobacco andelectronic cigarettes; Hastert "was the most prominent member of the lobbying team" on these efforts.[113] In 2013 and 2014, Hastert lobbied onclimate change issues on behalf ofPeabody Energy, the world's largest private-sectorcoal company; in 2015, Hastert "switched sides" and lobbied forFuels America, theethanol industry group.[113] In the second half of 2011, Hastert monitored legislation onGPS on behalf ofLightSquared, which paid Dickstein Shapiro $200,000 for lobbying services.[113]
Hastert also lobbied on behalf ofFirstLine Transportation Security, Inc. (which sought congressional review ofTransportation Security Administration procurement);[113] Naperville, Illinois-based lighting technology company PolyBrite International;[112] theAmerican College of Rheumatology (on annual labor and health spending bill);[113] theSan Diego, California-basedfor-profit education companyBridgepoint Education;[112]REX American Resources Corp.;[114]The ServiceMaster Co.;[114] and the Secure ID Coalition.[18]
In 2014, Hastert's firm Dickstein Shapiro and the lobbying firm of former House majority leader-turned lobbyistDick Gephardt split a $1.4 million annual lobbying contract with the government of Turkey.[115] In April 2013, Hastert and Gephardt traveled with eight members of Congress to Turkey, with all expenses paid by the Turkish government.[115][116] While members of Congress are generally prohibited from corporate-funded travel abroad with lobbyists (a rule enacted after theJack Abramoffscandal), the law permits lobbyists to plan and attend trips overseas if paid for by foreign countries.[115] Hastert defended the trip, saying that he had "meticulously" followed the rules and that the involvement of himself and Gephardt "allowed those members of Congress who were there to have a fuller experience."[115] ANational Journal investigation highlighted the trip as an example of loopholes creating a situation in which "lobbyists who can't legally buy a lawmaker a sandwich can still escort members on trips all around the world."[116]
In March 2015, Hastert along with his associate (accompanied by several lobbyist associates, including former RepresentativeWilliam D. Delahunt of Massachusetts) took advantage of his privilege as a former lawmaker to be present in the Senate Reception Room near the Senate chamber, "lingering" and "bantering with senators and other passersby" during a vote on whether to retain the fuel standard mandating the blending of ethanol and other alternative fuels with gasoline, as advocated by Hastert's client Fuels America (the ethanol industry trade group).[117] Hastert and Delahunt were criticized by watchdog groups who "questioned whether Hastert was violating" these rules,[118] but "allies of Hastert and Delahunt said they made a point of not lobbying lawmakers in the Senate Reception Room, but that they and members of their team used the lobby area as a temporary base, where they could greet lawmakers while they were holding meetings in private rooms."[117]
The day the 2015 indictment was unsealed, Hastert resigned his lobbyist position at Dickstein Shapiro, and his biography was removed from the firm's website.[119][120][121]
In addition to his lobbyist job, Hastert established his own consultancy, Hastert & Associates.[114] In 2008, Hastert also joined the board of directors of Chicago-basedfutures exchange companyCME Group (which had been formed from the merger of theChicago Mercantile Exchange andChicago Board of Trade), where he earned more thanUS$205,000 in total compensation in 2014.[122][123] On May 29, 2015, following his indictment, Hastert resigned from the board, effective immediately.[123]
A controversy arose in 2009 regarding Hastert's receipt of federal funds while a lobbyist.[124][125] Under a 1975 federal law, Hastert, as a former House Speaker, was entitled to a public allowance (about $40,000 a month) for a five-year period to allow him to maintain an office.[124] Hastert accepted the funds, which went toward office space in far-west suburbanYorkville, Illinois; salaries for three staffers (secretary Lisa Post and administrative assistants Bryan Harbin and Tom Jarman, each paid an annual salary of more than $100,000 over 2½ years); lease payments on a 2008GMC Yukonsport utility vehicle; asatellite TV subscription; office equipment; and legal fees.[114][124][125] Jarman later left the office, and Harbin's salary was cut substantially.[114] Hastert's government-funded office closed in late 2012, at the end of the maximum five years for which public funds were provided.[114] The total amount of public funds spent on Hastert's post-speakership office was nearly $1.9 million (not including federal benefits such as health care to which the employees were entitled), of which the majority (about $1.45 million) went toward staff salaries.[114]
The federally funded benefits were legally required to be completely separate from Hastert's simultaneous lobbying activities for Dickstein Shapiro.[124][125] The arrangement was criticized as "really concerning" by Steve Ellis, vice president ofTaxpayers for Common Sense, because the exact nature of the two roles was not transparent. A Hastert spokesman stated that the two offices were completely separate.[124][125] In 2012, however, aChicago Tribune investigation found that "a secretary in the ex-speaker's government office used email to coordinate some of his private business meetings and travel, and conducted research on one proposed venture" and that "a suburban Chicago businessman who was involved in the business ventures with Hastert said he met with Hastert at least three times in the government office to discuss the projects."[126] Hastert denied that he had engaged in any improper conduct.[126]
In 2013, Hastert's former business partner J. David John filed a lawsuit in thefederal district court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that Hastert misappropriated federal funds for his post-speakership office in Yorkville for personal use, including private lobbying and business projects.[127][128] This suit was filed under thequi tam provision of theFalse Claims Act (FCA), an anti-fraud statute that allows a private party to pursue a case on behalf of the federal government.[127][128][129] In the suit, John asserts that he told the FBI in 2011 that "he had knowledge that Hastert was using federally funded offices, staff, office supplies and vehicles for personal business ventures."[127] John, a businessman from the Chicago suburb ofBurr Ridge, Illinois,[126][129] also said that he traveled with Hastert and collaborated with him on "a plannedGrand Prix racetrack in Southern California and sports events to be organized in the Middle East" as well as other projects.[127] Hastert denies any wrongdoing.[128] The allegations about the use of the former speakers' office first drew the attention of federal investigators in 2013, leading to the federal indictment in 2015.[130]
In April 2017, Kocoras dismissed the suit, finding that John did not qualify as a "whistleblower" under the FCA.[131] John's attorney said that an appeal was possible.[131] The dismissal "did not turn on whether Hastert actually misused the speaker's office, but rather whether John met a prerequisite for [a False Claims Act] suit: that he brought the allegations to the government's attention before anyone else and before they were made public."[132] Kocoras held that John had falsely claimed that he had told the FBI about possible misuse of federal resources by Hastert.[132]
After retiring from Congress, Hastert made occasional public appearances on political programs.[67] He also made some endorsements of political candidates; in the2012 Republican presidential primaries, he endorsedMitt Romney instead of his predecessor as Speaker,Newt Gingrich.[133]
According to a 2017 interview with the two special agents leading the investigations—one each from the FBI and theIRS Criminal Investigation Division—"Hastert had been on the FBI's radar as early as November 2012—even before the FBI and IRS began investigating the suspicious cash withdrawals that were Hastert's downfall."[130] The inquiry was first prompted by allegations that Hastert had used his taxpayer-funded Office of the Former Speaker to further his private business ventures, something that Hastert was never charged with.[130] In 2013, the FBI and IRS began investigating Hastert's cash withdrawals, and in early 2015 they had learned about the "hush money" agreement between "Individual A" and Hastert.[130] In a December 8, 2014, interview, Hastert lied to the federal agents about the purpose of the withdrawals, leading to his federal prosecution.[130]
On May 28, 2015, a seven-page indictment of Hastert by afederal grand jury was unsealed in theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.[134][135][136][137]
The indictment charged Hastert with unlawfullystructuring the withdrawal of $952,000 in cash in order to evade therequirement that banks report cash transactions overUS$10,000 (Title 31, United States Code, Section 5324(a)(3)), andmaking false statements to the FBI about the purpose of his withdrawals (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2)). The indictment alleges that Hastert agreed to make payments of $3.5 million to an unnamed subject (identified in the indictment only as an "Individual A" from Yorkville, Illinois, who was known to Hastert for "most of Individual A's life"). The indictment stated that the payments were to "compensate for and conceal [Hastert's] prior misconduct."[67][138][139][135][136][140] Federal authorities began investigating his withdrawals in 2013.[141] In late 2014, after being questioned about the withdrawals, Hastert said that he did not trust banks; shortly afterward, Hastert changed his story, saying that he "was the victim of extortion by Individual A for false molestation accusations."[7]
The indictment itself did not specify the exact nature of the "past misconduct" referred to.[18] TheU.S. Attorney's Office limited details in the indictment of Hastert, in part because of a request from Hastert's attorneys.[142][143][144]
On May 29, Hastert was released on his ownrecognizance on a preliminary bail of $4,500 set by amagistrate judge.[123][143]
In JuneThe New York Times reported that Hastert had approached a business associate, J. David John, in 2010, to look for afinancial adviser to come up with anannuity plan that would "generate a substantial cash payout each year."[145] This request was the same year that prosecutors say he agreed to start paying hush money to the person he allegedly committed misconduct against.[146] John told theTimes that "I did not think much about it at the time, but looking back at it, it does seem strange. He just said he needed to generate some cash."[145]
On May 29, 2015, after Hastert had been indicted for illicitly structuring financial transactions, two people briefed on the evidence from the case stated that "Individual A"—the man to whom Hastert was making payments—had been sexually abused by Hastert during Hastert's time as a teacher and coach atYorkville High School and that Hastert had paid $1.7 million out of a total $3.5 million in promised payment.[22] On the same day, theLos Angeles Times reported that investigators had spoken with another former student who made similar allegations that corroborated what the first student said.[147] Hastert admitted to committing sexual abuse during sentencing on the structuring charge.[7][148]
On June 5, 2015,ABC News'Good Morning America aired an interview with Jolene Reinboldt Burdge, the sister of Steve Reinboldt, who was the studentequipment manager of the wrestling team at Yorkville High School when Hastert was the wrestling coach.[149][150][151] Hastert also ran an Explorers group of which Steve Reinboldt was a member and led the group on a diving trip to theBahamas.[149] In the interview, Burdge stated that in 1979, eight years after Reinboldt's high school graduation in 1971, her brother had told her that he had been sexually abused by Hastert throughout his four years of high school.[149] Burdge said that she was "stunned" by this news and that her brother said that he had never told anyone before, because he did not think he would be believed.[149] A message from Hastert appears in Steve Reinboldt's 1970 high schoolyearbook.[149] In the interview, Burdge said that she believes the abuse stopped when her brother moved away after graduation. Jolene said that Hastert "damaged Steve I think more than any of us will ever know".[149]
Reinboldt died of anAIDS-related illness in 1995.[149] Hastert attended hisviewing, which angered Burdge. She said:
I was just there just trying to bite my tongue thinking that blood was coming out because I was just ... So after he had gone through the line I followed him out into the parking lot of the funeral home. I said, "I want to know why you did what you did to my brother." And he just stood there and stared at me. He didn't say, "What are you talking about?" you know, [or], "What? I don't know what you're talking about." He just stood there and stared at me.Then I just continued to say, "I want you to know your secret didn't die in there with my brother. And I want you to remember that I'm out here and that I know." And again, he just stood there and he did not say a word.[149]
Hastert then got in his car and left. Burdge said Hastert's lack of a response "said everything".[149]
Following Reinboldt's death, around the time that theMark Foley scandal broke in 2006, Burdge unsuccessfully attempted to bring the allegations against Hastert to light. She contactedABC News and theAssociated Press (AP) on anoff-the-record basis, and also contacted some advocacy groups.[149][150] ABC News and the AP could not corroborate Burdge's allegation at the time, and Hastert denied the accusation to ABC News at the time, so the claim was not published.[149][150][152]
ABC News reported that "for years, Jolene watched helplessly as Hastert basked in fame and power, seated to the left of the president for years in the early 2000s, during the nationally televisedState of the Union address".[149] Several days before the indictment was unsealed, Burdge was interviewed by FBIagents who asked her about her brother and informed her Hastert was about to be indicted on federal charges.[149] Neither Reinboldt nor Burdge are "Individual A" named in the indictment, but Burdge believes that "Individual A" is familiar with what happened with her brother.[149] The statements by Burdge "marked the first time that a person [had] been publicly identified as a possible victim of Mr. Hastert".[153]
The emergence of the sexual abuse allegations against Hastert brought renewed attention to the 2006 Mark Foley scandal, and the criticism of Hastert that he failed to take appropriate action in that case.[154][155]
In the wake of the sexual abuse allegations, journalists noted that Hastert was a supporter of measures which sought to enhance punishments for child sexual abuse, such as theAdam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and theChild Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act of 2000.[156][157] In 2003, Hastert publicly called for legislation to "put repeat child molesters into jail for the rest of their lives".[157]
Hastert resigned his lobbyist position at the law and lobbying firmDickstein Shapiro the day the indictment was unsealed.[119][120][121] His biography was quickly removed from the firm's website and the firm purged all mentions of him from its previously posted press releases.[118] According to a report inPolitico, Hastert's resignation left the firm "reeling".[118] Following the Hastert indictment, Dickstein Shapiro's biggest domestic client, Fuels America, terminated its lobbying contract with the firm.[118]
On May 29, 2015,Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 released a statement reading:
The District was first made aware of any concerns regarding Mr. Hastert when the federal indictment was released on May 28, 2015. Yorkville Community Unit School District #115 has no knowledge of Mr. Hastert's alleged misconduct, nor has any individual contacted the District to report any such misconduct. If requested to do so, the District plans to cooperate fully with the U.S. Attorney's investigation into this matter.[158]
James Harnett, who wassuperintendent of the school district for five of the years that Hastert taught there, told theChicago Tribune that he was not aware of any complaints of misconduct brought against Hastert at the time.[21]
On May 29, 2015, SenatorMark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, who served in the House throughout Hastert's tenure as speaker, released a statement reading: "Anyone who knows Denny is shocked and confused by the recent news. The former speaker should be afforded, like any other American, his day in court to address these very serious accusations. This is a very troubling development that we must learn more about, but I am thinking of his family during this difficult time."[21] On June 4, 2015, Kirk announced that he would donate to charity a $10,000 contribution made to Kirk's 2010 Senate campaign by Hastert's Keep Our MissionPAC.[159] Kirk's announcement was made following theDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)'s call upon the senator to "return or donate Denny Hastert's money immediately".[160] The DSCC also called upon Republican SenatorsJohn Boozman ofArkansas andRoy Blunt ofMissouri (who received $11,000 and $5,000, respectively, from Hastert's PAC in recent years) to return or donate the funds.[159]
On May 29, 2015,White House Press SecretaryJosh Earnest stated in response to a reporter's question that "there is nobody here" at the White House "who derives any pleasure from reading about the former Speaker's legal troubles at this point".[161][162] On the same day, House SpeakerJohn Boehner, Republican ofOhio, issued a statement saying: "The Denny I served with worked hard on behalf of his constituents and the country. I'm shocked and saddened to learn of these reports."[22][163]
On May 30, 2015, Illinois's other senator,Dick Durbin, a Democrat, stated:
It seems so out of character for Denny. I just never could imagine that he'd be involved in anything like this ... We had our political differences, as you might expect, but I respected him as a colleague in the Illinois delegation and as Speaker.[164]
On June 2, 2015, formerFederal Housing Finance Agency director and former U.S. RepresentativeMel Watt, Democrat ofNorth Carolina, released a statement saying:
Over 15 years ago I heard an unseemly rumor from someone who, contrary to what has been reported, was not an intermediary or advocate for the alleged victim's family. It would not be the first nor last time that I, as a Member of Congress, would hear rumors or innuendoes about colleagues. I had no direct knowledge of any abuse by former Speaker Hastert and, therefore, took no action.[165]
The Hastert scandal was named byMSNBC as among the "top political sex scandals of 2015,"[166] by theAssociated Press as one of the "top 10 Illinois stories of 2015,"[167] and byABC News as one of the "biggest moments on Capitol Hill in 2015."[168] Hastert's sentencing was also named by theAssociated Press as one of "top 10 Illinois stories of 2016".[169]
The case was assigned to U.S. District JudgeThomas M. Durkin.[18] In between the unsealing of the indictment and the arraignment, Hastert made no public appearances and did not release any public statement.[170][171] However, on May 29, 2015,CBS Chicago reported that Hastert had privately told close friends that "I am a victim, too" and that he was sorry they had to go through the ordeal.[172]
Hastert hired attorneyThomas C. Green, awhite-collar criminal defense lawyer and senior counsel at the Washington, D.C. office of the law firmSidley Austin, to defend him.[138][173] The prosecutors assigned to the case were originallyAssistant United States Attorneys Steven Block and Carrie Hamilton.[174] Hamilton left the U.S. Attorney's Office in July 2015 after being appointed as a judge of theCircuit Court of Cook County; Diane MacArthur replaced Hamilton on the Hastert prosecution team.[174]
The June 9, 2015, arraignment generated a degree of media interest at theEverett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse not seen since the proceedings against Illinois governorsRod Blagojevich andGeorge Ryan on corruption charges.[175][176] TheChicago Tribune reported: "Hastert's entrance and exit from the courthouse touched off a wild scene as federalHomeland Security agents escorted Hastert and his attorneys to and from a waiting vehicle amid a crush of television news crews and photographers."[177] At the hearing, Hastert entered aplea of not guilty.[138][139][178] Durkin set a $4,500 unsecured bond as well as various other conditions of pretrial release, and Hastert surrendered hispassport.[179]
At the arraignment, Durkin disclosed that he had contributed $500 in 2002 and $1000 in 2004 to the Hastert for Congress campaign; the contributions were made while Durkin was a partner at the law firmMayer Brown, before he was appointed to the federal bench in 2012.[180] Hastert's son, Ethan, was a partner at Mayer Brown.[180] At the arraignment, Durkin stated that he had never met Hastert and that he believed he could be impartial, but gave the parties time to decide whether to object to his involvement in the case.[178][179][181] On June 11, federal prosecutors and Hastert's lawyers filed notices waiving any objection to Durkin presiding over the case.[182][183]
On June 12, federal prosecutors, with the agreement of Hastert's attorneys, filed amotion for aprotective order seeking to bar the public disclosure of the identity of "Individual A" and other sensitive information.[184] The motion states that "thediscovery to be provided by the government in this case includes sensitive information, the unrestricted dissemination of which could adversely affectlaw enforcement interests and the privacy interests of third parties."[184] The draft order contained language directing the parties to file any such sensitive information under seal.[184] On June 16, Durkin granted the motion for a protective order[185][186] but did not sign such an order.[187]
At a status hearing on July 14 (which Hastert again did not attend), the parties updated the court on preparations for trial.[188] At the hearing, Green said: "The indictment has effectively been amended by leaks from the government. It is now an 800-pound gorilla in this case. It has been injected in this case I think impermissibly. (The question is) whether I wrestle with that gorilla or I don't wrestle with that gorilla."[189] Green also said that the defense would file a motion to dismiss the indictment, possibly under seal.[189] Durkin "cautioned that even if he allows part or all of the motion to be hidden from the public, his ruling would be public and likely would disclose sealed portions of the motion."[189] At the same hearing, the prosecution said that they expected a trial to last about two weeks.[189]
Hastert shut down his "Keep Our Mission"leadership PAC at the end of June 2015 and transferred $10,000 (the vast majority of the PAC's remaining funds) to a newlegal defense fund, the J. Dennis Hastert Defense Trust.[190][191] AFederal Election Commission report lists the defense fund's address as aSunapee, New Hampshire property owned by Republican donor and ex-Gerald Ford White House staffer James Rooney.[190]
On September 11, 2015, Durkin granted a joint motion by the government and by Hastert to extend the deadline for filing pretrial motions for two weeks, "giving the two sides more time for discussions they have been engaged in."[192] On September 22, the parties filed another joint motion requesting another two-week extension (from September 28 to October 13); the motion said that the parties were discussing issues that Hastert "may raise in pretrial motions" but provided no details.[193] At a hearing on September 28, Hastert's attorneys and the government confirmed that they were discussing a possibleplea agreement. Judge Durkin said that if no plea agreement was reached, he wanted the case to go to trial in March or April 2016.[194] Pretrial motions were due on October 13, but none were filed, indicating that Hastert and the government "were nearing a plea deal."[137]
On October 15, 2015, it was announced at a court hearing that Hastert and federal prosecutors had reached a plea agreement.[137] On October 28, 2015, under the plea agreement, Hastert appeared in court (the only time Hastert appeared personally in court after the arraignment) and pleaded guilty to thefelony structuring charge.[5][195] The charge of "making false statements" (lying to the FBI) was dismissed.[196]
Hastertsaid in court: "I didn't want them [bank officials] to know how I intended to spend the money. I withdrew the money in less than $10,000 increments."[195] Possible sentences within a preliminaryFederal Sentencing Guidelines calculation ranged from probation to six months in prison.[5][197][198]
The plea agreement allowed Hastert "to avoid a potentially long and embarrassing trial" and was thought to enable him to "keep secret information that he has hidden for years."[5][137][195]
Soon after pleading guilty, Hastert suffered astroke, and was hospitalized from November 2015 to January 15, 2016.[198] Hastert remained free on bail pending sentencing.[196]
Sentencing was originally set for February 29, 2016.[195] However, in late January 2016, Hastert's attorneys asked the court to delay sentencing due to Hastert's ongoing health problems,[198] and Judge Durkin postponed sentencing until April 8, 2016.[199] In March, Durkin ordered the appointment of a medical expert to review Hastert's health in preparation for sentencing.[200] Later in March, Durkin postponed the sentencing hearing (over the objection of Hastert's attorneys) to April 27 so that a man who alleged sexual abuse by Hastert (identified as "Individual D" in court) could testify at the sentencing.[201]
In early April, the parties filed submissions in court ahead of sentencing.[2] The maximum sentence for the offense was five years in prison and a $250,000 fine,[120] although the Federal Sentencing Guidelines range was from probation to six months.[5][197] Hastert asked for probation.[7][2] A statement released by Hastert's counsel said: "Mr. Hastert acknowledges that as a young man, he committed transgressions for which he is profoundly sorry. He earnestly apologizes to his former students, family, friends, previous constituents and all others affected by the harm his actions have caused."[2][202] Hastert did not provide details.[2][202]
Hastert also filed under seal a response to the probation department'spresentence investigation report.[2] In the prosecution's filing ahead of sentencing, federal prosecutors made allegations of sexual misconduct against Hastert (the first time they had done so publicly), saying that he hadmolested at least four boys as young as 14 (including Steve Reinboldt and others) while he worked as a high school wrestling coach decades earlier.[2] In a 26-page filing, prosecutors detailed "specific, graphic incidents" of sexual acts.[2][203] Prosecutors asked for a six-month sentence, as called for under federal sentencing guidelines.[2] Prosecutors also requested the court to order Hastert to undergo a sex offender evaluation and comply with any recommended treatment.[2] While Hastert's health problems had the possibility to help him avoid prison,[204] prosecutors noted in their court filing that he could receive medical treatment while incarcerated, if necessary.[2]
Sixty letters asking for leniency for Hastert were submitted to the court ahead of sentencing, but 19 of these letters were withdrawn after Judge Durkin said that he would not consider any letters that were not made public.[205] Of the 41 letters that were made public, several were from current or former members of Congress:Tom DeLay,John T. Doolittle,David Dreier,Thomas W. Ewing, andPorter Goss (who also is a formerCIA director).[206]The Chicago Tribune noted that DeLay and Doolittle "have had legal troubles of their own" stemming from the Abramoff scandal, although DeLay's conviction in that scandal was later overturned and Doolittle was never charged.[205] Other supporters of Hastert who wrote letters on his behalf included his family members; formerIllinois Attorney GeneralTyrone C. Fahner; "local leaders, board members, police officers and others from his home base in rural Kendall County"; and "several members of Illinois' wrestling community."[205]
At the sentencing hearing on April 27, 2016, the government presented two witnesses. Jolene Burdge, the sister of Steve Reinboldt, read a letter that her brother had written shortly before his death in 1995. Addressing Hastert, Burdge stated that she wanted to "hold you accountable for sexually abusing my brother. I knew your secret, and you couldn't bribe or intimidate your way out. ... You think you can deny your abuse of Steve because he can no longer speak for himself – that's why I'm here."[6]
The second witness was Scott Cross ("Individual D") who publicly identified himself for the first time. Cross gave emotional testimony, telling the court that Hastert, whom he had trusted, had abused him and caused him to experience "intense pain, shame and guilt."[7][6][207] Cross' oldest brother is longtimeIllinois House of Representatives Republican leaderTom Cross, a political protégé of Hastert's.[6][207]
Addressing the court, Hastert—who had arrived at court in a wheelchair—read from a written statement, apologizing for having "mistreated athletes."[6] After being pressed by the judge, Hastert admitted to sexually abusing boys whom he coached, saying that he had molested "Individual B" and did not remember some of the others.[6] Hastert said he did not remember abusing Cross, "but I accept his statement."[6] Hastert stated "what I did was wrong and I regret it ... I took advantage of them."[6] Hastert also acknowledged that he had misled the FBI.[6] Durkin referred to Hastert as a "serial child molester" and imposed a sentence of 15 months in prison, two years'supervised release, including sex-offender treatment, and a $250,000 fine.[7][3] Hastert is "one of the highest-ranking American politicians ever sentenced to prison."[3]
Hastert could not be prosecuted for any of the acts of sexual abuse of which he had been accused because the applicablestatute of limitations had expired decades earlier.[208]
Following the sentence, theChicago Tribune editorial board praised "the bravery of the victims and their families who confronted the man who was once second in line to be president" and wrote of the sentence: "The enduring impact is that the truth has been revealed. And for as long as the name Dennis Hastert is recalled, the man once respected as a leader will be known as a criminal, a scoundrel, a child molester."[209] TheWashington Post editorial board hailed the sentence, writing that Hastert's victims "should not have had to struggle with what Mr. Hastert did to them all the while they watched him rise in stature and power."[210] ThePost called for extending statutes of limitations in sex abuse cases to give victims more time to come forward and prosecutors more time to pursue perpetrators.[210]New York Times columnistFrank Bruni wrote that Hastert's case underscored the danger that comes with the "quickness and frequency with which so many of us equate displays of religious devotion with actual rectitude," noting that Hastert's public displays of Christian faith during his time in office were "a factor in his colleagues' assessments of him as safe, uncontroversial."[211] Bruni also critiqued the testimonials that prominent Republicans submitted on Hastert's behalf before sentencing, saying that these "affirm the degree to which pacts rather than principle govern partisan politics today."[211]
Jacob Sullum ofReason opined that the financial structuring offense to which Hastert pleaded guilty "should not be a crime ... even if it occasionally provides the means for punishing actual criminals who would otherwise escape justice."[212]Conor Friedersdorf ofThe Atlantic expressed similar views, writing: "The alarming aspect of this case is the fact that an American is ultimately being prosecuted for the crime of evading federal government surveillance."[213]
The Hastert scandal was one motivation for the advance of legislation in theIllinois General Assembly to eliminate the statute of limitations for all felony child abuse andsexual assault offenses.[214] The measure unanimously passed thestate Senate in March 2017.[215]
Hastert did not appeal his sentence.[216] Shortly after being sentenced, Hastert paid the $250,000 fine[217] and was ordered to report to prison on June 22, 2016.[218] On that date, Hastert reported to theFederal Medical Center inRochester, Minnesota to begin his prison term.[219]
In July 2017, after serving about 13 months of a 15-month sentence, Hastert was released from federal prison and returned to Chicago under "residential re-entry management" supervision.[8][220]
In April 2016, "Individual A" sued Hastert forbreach of contract inIllinois state court, in Kendall County. "Individual A" (suing under pseudonym "James Doe") sought to collect the remaining $1.8 million in "hush money" allegedly promised to him by Hastert.[221][222][223] In thecomplaint, "Individual A" alleged that he was molested at age 14 by Hastert and that he confronted Hastert after speaking with another of Hastert's alleged victims in 2008.[221] Individual A alleged that he sufferedpanic attacks and other problems for years as a result of the abuse.[221] Hastertcounterclaimed for return of the hush money, alleging that "Individual A" violated a verbal agreement with him by disclosing the sexual abuse to federal authorities.[222][224]
In November 2016, the court denied Hastert's motion to dismiss.[225] In September 2019, the court denied motions forsummary judgment by each side.[226] In September 2021, days before trial was set to begin, Hastert reached a settlement with the plaintiff for an undisclosed amount.[223]
In May 2016, a second man filed a lawsuit against Hastert. The man alleged that Hastert sexually assaulted him in the bathroom of a community building in Yorkville in the summer of either 1973 or 1974, when the man was nine or ten years old and in the fourth grade. The complaint detailed the alleged violent assault as well as threats allegedly made by Hastert. The man only recognized Hastert as the assailant after Hastert appeared at Yorkville Grade School in gym class.[227][228] A Kendall County judge granted the man's motion to proceed anonymously under the "Richard Doe" pseudonym.[227] In the complaint, the man stated that when he was 20 or 21 years old, he comprehended what had occurred and reported the crime to the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office, but that then-state's attorney Dallas C. Ingemunson "threatened to charge him with a crime and accused him of slandering Hastert's name."[227] Ingemunson denied this allegation, calling it "bogus."[227] In May 2016, "Richard Doe" filed a report with the Kendall County Sheriff's Office, but the state's attorney's office determined that the statute of limitations barred a complaint against anyone."[227]NBC Chicago obtained a redacted version of the Sheriff's Office police report.[228]
In November 2017, this lawsuit was dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations years earlier.[229][230]
Soon after sentencing, theIllinois Teachers' Retirement System announced that Hastert would forfeit future teachers'pension benefits, effective immediately.[231] Hastert challenged this decision on the ground that the specific federal crime to which he pleaded guilty was not directly related to his time as a teacher.[232]
Hastert's pension for his service in the Illinois General Assembly—about $28,000 a year[232]—was originally unaffected.[231] However, in October 2016, the General Assembly Retirement System board of trustees unanimously voted to suspend Hastert's pension[232] and in April 2017 the board voted, 5–2, to terminate the pension.[233]
As of 2015, Hastert continued to receive hiscongressional pension,[234] which amounts to approximately $73,000 a year.[232]
In December 1999, Northern Illinois University conferred anhonoraryLL.D. degree upon Hastert.[236] In May 2016, NIU's board of trustees unanimously voted to revoke Hastert's honorary degree.[237]
In 2002,Lewis University conferred an honorary degree upon Hastert. In 2015, following his guilty plea, the university said that it was "reviewing the status of the honorary degree."[238] Lewis University no longer shows Hastert as having earned an honorary degree.
TheNational Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded Hastert its Order of Merit in 1995 and named Hastert to its "Hall of Outstanding Americans" in 2000.[239][240][241] In May 2016, a few days after Hastert was sentenced to prison, the Hall of Fame (following a review)[239] revoked all of Hastert's honors, the first time the organization had ever taken such an action.[242]
TheThree Fires Council of the Boy Scouts of America has honored Hastert with its distinguished service award.[21][240]
In March 2001,PresidentValdas Adamkus ofLithuania presented Hastert with theGrand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.[16][243] In 2004, Hastert was presented theOrder of the Oak Crown, Grand Cross by thegrand duke of Luxembourg.[16]
In 2007, the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy was founded atWheaton College, the former Speaker's alma mater.[244] Hastert resigned from the board of advisers of the center on May 29, 2015, after the indictment against him was released.[245] On May 31, 2015, the college announced that it was removing his name from the center, renaming it the Wheaton College Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy.[246]
In 2009, Hastert's official portrait was unveiled and placed in the Speaker's Lobby adjacent to the House chamber, alongside portraits of other past House speakers. The 5' by 3½' portrait, executed byWestchester County, New York artist Laurel Stern Boeck, cost $35,000 in taxpayer funds.[235][240] In November 2015, the week after Hastert's guilty plea in his criminal case, the portrait was removed from the Speaker's Lobby on orders of SpeakerPaul Ryan.[247]
In May 2009, Hastert accepted theGrand Cross of the Order of San Carlos fromÁlvaro Uribe, thepresident of Colombia.[16][248]
In May 2010, Hastert accepted theGrand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun fromAkihito,emperor of Japan.[10][249]
In 2012, a plaque funded by private donors, "bearing Hastert's likeness and a list of his accomplishments," was placed in the historicKendall County Courthouse in downtown Yorkville.[240] The plaque was taken down in 2015, following Hastert's guilty plea.[250]
In early May 2015 (before the indictment was released), a proposal in theIllinois Legislature to spend $500,000 to commission and install a statue of Hastert in theIllinois State Capitol was withdrawn at Hastert's request. Hastert called the measure's sponsor (Michael Madigan, thespeaker of the Illinois House of Representatives) and stated that "he appreciated the recognition and honor" but asked that it be deferred given the "fiscal condition" of the state.[251][252]
In 2015, following the unsealing of the indictment against Hastert the previous month, the Denny Hastert Yorkville Invitational, a popular wrestling tournament in Illinois,[253] was renamed the Fighting Foxes Invitational.[254]
Hastert has been married to Jean Hastert (née Kahl) since 1973.[10] They have two children, Ethan and Joshua.[10] Hastert's older son, Joshua, was a lobbyist for the firmPodestaMattoon,[255] representing clients ranging fromAmgen, a biotech company, toLockheed Martin, a defense contractor. This provoked criticism from Congress Watch: "There definitely should be restrictions [on family members registering as lobbyists] ... This is family members cashing in on connections ... [and it] is an ideal opportunity for special interest groups to exploit family relationships for personal gain." Joshua Hastert responded to the allegation by saying that he did not lobby House Republican leaders.[256]
Hastert's son Ethan ran in 2010 as a Republican for his father's old congressional seat (Illinois' 14th congressional district), but was defeated in the primary by Illinois State SenatorRandy Hultgren.[257] Hultgren received 55 percent of the vote, while Hastert received 45 percent.[257] In 2011, Ethan won a seat on the village board ofElburn, Illinois.[258] Ethan left the Elburn village board in 2014 because he and his family moved to nearbyCampton Hills.[259] As of 2015, Ethan was a partner at the Chicago office of the law firmMayer Brown.[67][260]
Hastert suffers fromtype 2 diabetes and requires dailyinsulin injections.[10][261][262] Because of his condition, he sometimes walked with protective coverings on his feet to avoidfoot problems.[67]
Hastert has received treatment forkidney stones at least three times. In 2005, he underwent minor surgery atBethesda Naval Hospital to remove kidney stones.[262] In 2006, Hastert was hospitalized forcellulitis (a type of bacterial skin infection).[263]
In November 2015, the week after entering a guilty plea in federal court, Hastert suffered astroke and was hospitalized until January 15, 2016.[198] According to his attorney, Hastert was additionally treated forsepsis and ablood infection, and underwent two back operations.[197][204] At a court hearing in February 2016, Hastert's attorney said that Hastert "nearly died" from the blood infection.[199]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert | 77,288 | 52.37% | |
| Democratic | Mary Lou Kearns | 70,293 | 47.63% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 161,146 | 73.71% | |
| Democratic | Stephen Youhanaie | 57,482 | 26.29% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 112,383 | 66.91% | |
| Democratic | Donald Westphal | 55,592 | 33.10% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 155,271 | 67.33% | |
| Democratic | Jonathan Abram Reich | 75,294 | 32.65% | |
| No party | (write-in votes) | 59 | 0.03 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 110,204 | 76.48% | |
| Democratic | Steve Denari | 33,891 | 23.52% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 134,432 | 64.39% | |
| Democratic | Doug Mains | 74,332 | 35.61% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 117,304 | 69.76% | |
| Democratic | Robert A. Cozzi Jr. | 50,844 | 30.24% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 188,597 | 73.99% | |
| Democratic | Vern Deljohnson | 66,309 | 26.01% | |
| Independent | John Rosengarten | 3 | 0.00% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 135,198 | 74.14% | |
| Democratic | Lawrence J. Quick | 47,165 | 25.86% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 191,618 | 68.63% | |
| Democratic | Ruben Zamora | 87,590 | 31.37% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (I) | 117,870 | 59.79% | |
| Democratic | John Laesh | 79,274 | 40.21% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert (IL 14) | 222 | 52.00 | |
| Democratic | Dick Gephardt (MO 3) | 205 | 48.00 | |
| Total votes | 427 | 100 | ||
| Votes necessary | 214 | >50 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert* (IL 14) | 222 | 51.50 | |
| Democratic | Dick Gephardt (MO 3) | 206 | 47.80 | |
| Democratic | John Murtha (PA 12) | 1 | 0.23 | |
| — | Present | 2 | 0.47 | |
| Total votes | 431 | 100 | ||
| Votes necessary | 216 | >50 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert* (IL 14) | 228 | 52.53 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Pelosi (CA 8) | 201 | 46.31 | |
| Democratic | John Murtha (PA 12) | 1 | 0.23 | |
| — | Present | 4 | 0.93 | |
| Total votes | 434 | 100 | ||
| Votes necessary | 218 | >50 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dennis Hastert* (IL 14) | 226 | 52.92 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Pelosi (CA 8) | 199 | 46.60 | |
| Democratic | John Murtha (PA 12) | 1 | 0.24 | |
| — | Present | 1 | 0.24 | |
| Total votes | 427 | 100 | ||
| Votes necessary | 214 | >50 | ||
Hastert became a much more forceful leader, playing velvet-covered mallet to DeLay's hammer in what some saw as a good cop-bad cop ploy.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)ABC News said it didn't run with the reporting because it lacked corroborating evidence
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 14th congressional district 1987–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | House Republican Chief Deputy Whip 1995–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | House Republican Leader 1999–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of the United States House of Representatives 1999–2007 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives | Order of precedence of the United States as Former Speaker of U.S. US House of Representatives | Succeeded byas Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives |
|  | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
