The details on the indictment of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 73, have remained hazy with some notable gaps in the underlying criminal enterprise alleged in the complaint. The theory is that Hastert was paying millions to a blackmailer and tried to hide the payment through “structuring” of withdrawing less than $10,000 to avoid reporting to the federal government. What is interesting however is that the underlying alleged blackmailer has not been charged. There is also the question of the subject of the earlier “misconduct” and whether it could be charged. Some offenses like child molestation can be charged many years after the fact. Hastert was indicted on two counts for charged with lying to the F.B.I. and the structuring of withdrawals, both carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Hastert is accused of structuring the withdrawal of $925,000 in cash and then lying to the FBI about the withdrawals. The FBI says that Hastert met with an unnamed individual in 2010 and discussed “prior misconduct.” It must have been pretty serious “misconduct” if the parties agreed on the payment of $3.5 million “in order to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct against Individual A.”
From 2010 to 2014, Hastert withdrew a total of approximately $1.7 million in cash from various bank accounts and provided it to this unnamed individual. When the bank raised questions in 2012 about the large withdrawals, Hastert reportedly reduced the withdrawals through structuring. In April 2014, Hastert allegedly lied about the money and said he did not trust banks and was keeping the case — when he was giving the money to this individual.
Hastert has been working with the lobbying and law firm of Dickstein Shapiro LLC.
It is curious to have so little information on the underlying facts and “misconduct” or the status of the person receiving such money. Perhaps we will learn more in the coming days about the nature of the misconduct and why the individual was not charged if this were a case of blackmail.
Source: New York Times
I. Annie
Mrs. Betty Bowers truly is America’s Best Christian! She’s the best.
Kinda pitiful here, people scrambling to revive old Bill Clinton and NAMBLA jokes . That’s all you got? Really?
Although “Individual A” has federal immunity, that person is likely a blackmailer under the laws of all 50 states. Presumably Illinois would have jurisdiction here, and if it brings charges against “Individual A”, will Hastert be a cooperating witness?
Theodore H. White:
“…it is all fraudulent, all of it, everywhere, up and down, East and West. The movies, radio and state and books and TV — all of them are fraudulent; and the foundations and universities and scholars, they are all fraudulent too; and the executives and the financiers … and the Commissars and the Krushchevs and the Mao Tze-tungs, they are fraudulent equally; it is all a great game; and there are two dangers in this great game: first, the fraudulent people come to believe their own lies, they come to have faith in their fraud; and second, underneath it all, because people are fundamentally good, they come to realize that we live in lies and the people get angrier and angrier and they may explode.”
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/teddy-white-political-journalism-117090_full.html#.VWmQyEYuPYT
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/05/28/legendary-journalist-private-fraudulent-everywhere/
Apparently, former Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, has been even busier (and more generous) than the Duggars in covering up child molestation. I do hope that Mike Huckabee doesn’t trip over a microphone wire in his rush to remind us that Jesus is so beyond bored with kiddie-diddling if you’re a Republican and say the magic incantation, “Oops! Sorry, Jesus!”
~Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s best Christian.
An old lesson that bears constant repeating….
It’s the coverup that kills ya.
Lord knows Denny would never have been in position to hand over 3 million dollars if he had faced this years ago.
I do believe the red meat was provided by the longest serving Speaker of the House AND his blackmailer.
Yes, indeed. The DDS drone is occupying the same space as does the Bill Clinton* receiving blow j*bs drone.
*See comment upstream. I think it was probably written by Sqt. York.
JT gives the liberal cultists here some red meat today, after kicking their cult leaders ass yesterday.
DDS[Duggar Derangement Syndrome] appears to have gone airborne.
Perhaps Dusty could repeat her very good explanation.
It is not illegal to take your own money from the bank.
Once we get the readers to comprehend that, we can move on to the next step.
It’s recommended that those who are very confused (and have trouble with words) to watch the last season of Breaking Bad wherein we are introduced to 5x10x4 foot pallets of money.
Annie,
That other Conservative Christian value… personal responsibility.
… Unless you can pay someone else to keep your secret skeletons hidden.
Jim22 says:
“I guess I’m confused. It’s illegal to take out your own money from the bank. Why does the govt. have any say in what I do with it? It’s non of their freaking business.”
Welcome to the 21st century, Double Deuce. It’s all part of the War on Drugs, and now the War on Terror. And do you know who passed this law allowing the gubmint to dig into what you do with your money? Dennis Hastert, the man who controlled the House with an iron fist. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Psychedelic Furs…”The Ghost In you”…beyond good…more addicting than heroin…but non injurious…only love…think of that woman that sets your heart ablaze, aflame…thoughts are only pure, virtuous…those big brown “cow-eyes”…that smile…the voice, soft, gentle, angelic…a goddess
“victim of changes” by Judas priest…haunting… rob halford- when he scream’s-he’s trying to tell you something…
Max, yes, it’s crumbling down, because it was built on feet of clay.
Annie,
Yes, their house of Conservative Christian values is crumbling down…
Annie
It’s pure Duggary.
No one likes a molestor. House Speaker or otherwise…
And, like potato chips… you can’t just have one ‘Individual A’.
Source: Investigators considered including a second alleged victim in the Hastert indictment, but ultimately chose not to do so.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/former-us-speaker-of-the-house-dennis-hastert-indicted?utm_term=.slOJ5WK7Q&sub=3792872_5858506#.mjAwVPwVa
Max-1 – I am glad to see that you are all for prosecuting gay pedophiles. I think more liberals should get behind this movement. Pun intended.
Max, it’s interesting that these two cases have come out now, so close to when the SC will probably be making it Consititutional for same sex marriage to be recognized as legal nation wide. Maybe it’s fate giving a preemptive kick in the pants to the Family Values hypocrites that will go nuts over the decision.
But, but, but… it’s never predation when Christian Conservatives prey on the young…
When they really ought to be doing is praying for their own sins.