Lawyers for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Thursday that he has struck an agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to charges that he paid off a man to conceal previous sexual misconduct. Hastert had allegedly agreed to make $3.5 million in hush-money payments and evaded bank reporting laws to do so, subsequently lying to the FBI.
Hastert, who served 20 years in Congress and spent nine years as House speaker, is expected to officially enter the guilty plea later this month. It is unclear whether the deal will call for Hastert to serve prison time.
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