Will plead guilty
Hastert’s attorney tells Judge Durkin that Hastert will plead guilty to an indictment alleging he agreed to pay 3.5 million dollars in hush money payments. The plea negotiations mean that many details surrounding Hastert’s prosecution will not be publicly revealed, including the identity of the person Hastert is accused of paying off. Hastert will enter the guilty plea at a hearing on October 28th.
Pleads not guilty
Hastert pleads not guilty to violating federal banking laws and lying to FBI investigators. He agrees to submit to a DNA sample if asked, to surrender his passport, to avoid anyone associated with the case, and to remove all firearms from his home. He will remain free on a $4,500 bond.
Judge Durkin offers to recuse himself due to donations he made to Hastert’s campaign years ago, although he says he has never met the former speaker. He gives the parties a day to decide if he should remain on the case.
Victim named
Reinboldt’s sister says she first learned of her late brother’s sexual abuse in 1979 when her brother revealed to her that he was gay and had been out of high school for eight years. The abuse lasted throughout Steve’s four years of high school as he served as team student manager.
I asked him, when was your first same sex experience. He looked at me and said, ‘It was with Dennis Hastert’. I was stunned.
She asked him why he never told anyone.
And he just turned around and kind of looked at me and said, ‘Who is ever going to believe me?’
She said she was angered when Hastert showed up at her brother’s funeral in 1995 (he had died of AIDS):
I followed him out into the parking lot of the funeral home. I said, ‘I want to know why you did what you did to my brother.’ And he just stood there and stared at me. He didn’t say, ‘What are you talking about?’ you know, [or], ‘What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He just stood there and stared at me. Then I just continued to say, ‘I want you to know your secret didn’t die in there with my brother. And I want you to remember that I’m out here and that I know.’ And again, he just stood there and he did not say a word.
She says she tried to contact the media and the authorities with no response, and had given up hope. Then, a few weeks ago, she received a call from the FBI:
I feel vindicated and that Steve’s vindicated, that Mr. Hastert can’t pull this wool over everybody’s eyes. Finally the truth comes out.