Hastert sentenced to 15 months in prison

by Jesse Byrnes - 04/27/16 12:54 PM ET

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months of prison in a hush money case that revealed allegations of decades-old sexual abuse.

Judge Thomas M. Durkin of the Northern District of Illinois announced the sentence after a lengthy discussion of the charges, repeatedly calling Hastert a “serial child molester.

The judge also ruled that Hastert must face 2 years of supervised release, during which Hastert is prohibited from contacting the alleged victims. He will also pay a $250,000 fine, according to reports.

{mosads}Prosecutors had asked that the judge consider sentencing guidelines, recommending between zero and six months of jail time, though Hastert’s attorneys reportedly asked he receive probation, which Durkin called “inappropriate.”

Hastert pleaded guilty in October to structuring transactions to pay an accuser from his time as a high school teacher and wrestling coach in such a way as to avoid the payments being reported to regulators.

The person identified as “Individual A” in court documents filed a lawsuit earlier this week, claiming Hastert didn’t pay the remaining $1.8 million of their $3.5 million deal to keep the alleged abuse private.

Hastert admitted Wednesday to having “mistreated” several former student athletes from his time as a high school wrestling coach and apologized. The judge pressed him for details and asked directly if Hastert had sexually abused victims, to which he reportedly replied, “Yes.”

“What I did was wrong, and I regret it,” Hastert said, according to multiple reports. “They looked to me, and I took advantage of them.”

Hastert said he didn’t recall some of the alleged abuse.

Durkin remarked about Hastert’s years of political service but dismissed calls for a sentence of probation from his lawyers, who said he was in poor health. Hastert’s attorneys mentioned a blood infection in November and a stroke he suffered.

“Nothing is more stunning than having ‘serial child molester’ and ‘Speaker of the House’ in the same sentence,” Durkin said, according to The New York Times.

“If there’s a public shaming of the defendant because of the conduct he’s engaged in, so be it,” Durkin said.

Scott Cross, the brother of longtime Illinois House GOP leader Tom Cross (R), spoke of his “intense pain, shame and guilt” after saying he was abused by Hastert as a 17-year-old, according to the Times.

“We are very proud of Scott for having the courage to relive this very painful part of his life in order to ensure that justice is done today,” Tom Cross’s family said in a statement after his testimony.

“We hope this testimony will provide courage and strength to other victims of other cases of abuse to speak out and advocate for themselves.”

Another witness, Jolene Burdge, said her brother Stephen Reinboldt, who went to the school during Hastert’s time there, spoke of the alleged abuse he endured and told her about before he died of AIDS in 1995.

“I hope I have been your worst nightmare,” she told Hastert, according to reporters in the room, telling him to not be a “coward” about his alleged abuse and “tell the truth.”

Hastert appeared outside the courthouse after the sentencing and was surrounded by a scrum of media as he was helped out of his wheelchair and into a dark SUV by a man in a suit.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois released a statement following the sentencing.

“With this case, the Office sought to hold Mr. Hastert accountable for the crimes he committed that could still be prosecuted: illegally structuring cash withdrawals and lying to the government about his motive for engaging in that activity. All of us have been inspired by the strength and bravery of the victims and witnesses who came forward in the most challenging of circumstances.”

— This post was updated at 2:49 p.m.

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