Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 73, pleaded not guilty in a Chicago court on Tuesday afternoon on all counts to charges that he lied to the FBI about illegal bank withdrawals.
Hastert allegedly used the so-called "hush money" to pay someone to stay quiet about accusations of sexual misconduct. According to court papers, Hastert agreed to pay a source known as "Individual A" $3.5 million to conceal his "prior misconduct." NBC News reports that "Individual A" is likely a former student at Yorkville High School in Illinois, where Hastert served as a teacher, a wrestling coach, and a football coach.
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Hastert, who was indicted last month, retired from Congress in 2007. The two charges against him each carry a $250,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
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