Woman says her late brother was victim of abuse by Dennis Hastert
In an interview with ABC News published Friday, Jolene Reinboldt said her brother, Steve Reinboldt, was a victim of abuse by Dennis Hastert while Hastert was his high school wrestling coach in Yorkville, Illinois.
Reinboldt's interview is the first time an alleged victim of Hastert's has been named, ABC News reports. Hastert, a former speaker of the House, was indicted on charges of bank fraud and lying to the FBI, and he is due in court next week. Sources told ABC News Hastert paid an unidentified man, known as "Individual A," hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover up Hastert's alleged sexual misconduct.
During the ABC News interview, Reinboldt said that her brother told her he was gay in 1979. He then told her that his first sexual experience with a man was with Hastert. According to Reinboldt, her brother never went to authorities because he didn't think anyone would believe him.
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Steve Reinboldt apparently told his sister the abuse lasted all four years he was in high school, while he served as the wrestling team's student manager. Steve Reinboldt died from AIDS in 1995.
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Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
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