Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleads guilty to $3.5 million hush-money accusations

Dennis Hastert
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 73, pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony bank fraud charges in a $3.5 million hush-money case in which he evaded federal bank reporting laws. While the indictment only said the payments were related to "past misconduct," Hastert, a former high school teacher and wrestling coach, was allegedly sending money to an individual to cover up sexual contact with a student. Hastert had also faced charges of lying to the FBI, but they were dropped under his plea bargain. The deal recommends Hastert face up to six months in prison.

Hastert served 20 years in Congress and spent nine years as House speaker, making him the longest-serving Republican speaker in history.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.