Victim suing Hastert for hush money says Hastert revealed deal, not him

The sexual abuse victim suing Dennis Hastert for remaining promised hush money says Hastert is to blame for revealing their $3.5 million deal, and not the victim as Hastert has claimed, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.

The new court filing comes a month after the former U.S. speaker said the victim, known publicly only as "Individual A," didn't keep his end of the bargain and revealed their deal in which the victim was to keep silent, and the deal was nullified because, among other reasons, it wasn't in writing.

Individual A had been paid $1.7 million before investigators revealed the payments, leading federal prosecutors in Chicago to charge Hastert with lying to the FBI and illegally structuring bank withdrawals. The victim is suing to regain the remaining $1.8 million plus interest.

Kristi L. Browne, Individual A's lawyer, argued in the new filing Individual A "had every right to disclose his own life story." Further, she wrote that Hastert admitted molesting Individual A and has "repeatedly" acknowledged their hush-money deal.

The lawsuit was filed in April in Kendall County. A hearing on Hastert's bid to have the lawsuit dismissed is set for Oct. 13.

Hastert pleaded guilty to the structuring in October 2015 and he admitted to the sexual abuse during his sentencing hearing last April. Hastert reported to prison in June in Minnesota and is due to be released in August 2017.