Hastert expected to plead guilty in hush-money case
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is expected to appear in court in two weeks to change his plea on charges he agreed to pay millions in hush money to avoid disclosure of wrongdoing from when he taught and coached at Yorkville High School.
U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin scheduled a change of plea hearing for Oct. 28. Joseph Fitzpatrick, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, would not say if the two sides have reached an agreement that would include a guilty plea.
A plea deal could ensure that details about why Hastert, 73, paid the money wouldn't be divulged in court.
The former speaker pleaded not guilty earlier this year to violating federal banking requirements and lying to the FBI about his reasons for doing so. Authorities say the Plano Republican withdrew about $1.7 million between 2010 and 2014 and structured the withdrawals in amounts less than $10,000 in an attempt to avoid banking reporting requirements.
Hastert is free on a $4,500 bail.
According to the indictment, Hastert agreed in 2010 to pay a total of $3.5 million to "Individual A" to compensate for misconduct against that person. The Associated Press reported the payments were to silence allegations of sexual misconduct.
A plea deal can benefit both sides. A defendant who accepts a plea deal demonstrates he has accepted responsibility for his actions and might receive mercy from a judge in return. In Hastert's case, a guilty plea could preclude the government from presenting in open court testimony about the misconduct allegations or from calling as a witness "Individual A," the person prosecutors say Hastert agreed to pay.
Although the complaint did not specify the misconduct, it noted "Individual A" was a resident of Yorkville who has known Hastert most of his life. The complaint also refers specifically to Hastert's tenure as a history teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School from 1965 to 1981.
For prosecutors, a plea guarantees a conviction in a high-profile case and avoids a costly, time-consuming trial.
The fact that Hastert's attorneys did not file pretrial motions in court by a Tuesday deadline suggests plea negotiations are progressing, experts say.
If talks are going well, filing pretrial motions might only "ruffle prosecutors' feathers" and hurt Hastert's chances for a good deal, said former prosecutor Terry Sullivan.
If convicted, Hastert faces up to five years in prison and a total $500,000 fine.
The judge presiding over Hastert's case is the brother of longtime Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. The judge, who donated a total of $1,500 to Hastert's election campaigns in 2002 and 2004, worked with Hastert's son Ethan Hastert when Durkin was a partner at Mayer Brown, a Chicago law firm. Durkin, who is also a former federal prosecutor, said he could be impartial but offered to recuse himself if either side wanted him to do so. Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys raised objects to Durkin continuing to preside over the case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.