Dennis Hastert has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for his role in a hush money scheme to cover up past sexual abuse of children when he was a high school wrestling coach.
In a scathing rebuke of Hastert, Judge Thomas M. Durkin called Hastert a “serial child molester.” He also admonished Hastert for trying to shift the focus onto one of his victims. Durkin said, “accusing Individual A of extorting you was unconscionable.”
As part of his sentence, Hastert “must undergo sex offender treatment, two years of supervised release after his time behind bars and a $250,000 fine to go to a crime victims fund.”
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has become one of the highest-ranking politicians in American history to be sentenced to prison.
Hastert pleaded guilty last fall to violating banking law as he sought to pay someone referred to as Individual A $3.5 million to keep sex abuse secret. He was sentenced Wednesday to 15 months in prison, sex offender treatment, two years of supervised release after his time behind bars and a $250,000 fine that will go to a crime victims fund.
When U.S. Judge Thomas M. Durkin read the sentence, Hastert sat unmoving in his wheelchair, hands folded on his lap, shoulders hunched and his face drawn.
More reporting via Aamer Madhani on Twitter, below.
Judge Durkin sentences #DennisHastert to 15 months in prison. Prosecution asked for six months.
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
Judge Durkin says that prosecutions recommendation of six months in prison is not enough and has sentenced him to 15 months in prison.
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
Judge to #DennisHastert: “I can’t sentence you as a child molester, your sentence today will pale to wht you would have faced in state crt
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
Judge tells #DennisHastert "Nothing is more disturbing than having serial child molester and speaker of the House in the same sentence."
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
Judge says #DennisHastert falsely suggested that he was being extorted by Indiv. A. "You tried to set him up. You tried to frame him."
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
Judge Thomas Durkin calls Individual A "Victim A"…They are victims, Durkin says. #DennisHastert
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 27, 2016
