Hastert Support Letters Must Be Made Public for Judge to Consider Them

A federal judge has ordered that letters written in support of former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert must be made public in order to be considered at sentencing.

Five dozen letters were written on behalf of Hastert, according to the Chicago Tribune, but were attached to a report that is “routinely filed under seal.”

Judge Thomas Durkin said there was no legal basis for the letters to be concealed.

Sign up for the Patch newsletter

Earlier this week, it was revealed that lawyers for Hastert argued in a court filing that Hastert’s alleged sexual misconduct shouldn’t be considered misconduct.

According to the filing, the nature of the sexual conduct with Individual A, one of the alleged victims of Hastert’s sexual abuse and the recipient of Hastert’s structured withdrawals from multiple banks, remains ambiguous.

In an interview with the FBI, IRS, and the United State’s Attorney’s Office, Individual A said he was not sure if Hastert touched or brushed his genitals, according to the court filing.

“While undoubtedly many would consider this episode as described by [Individual A], consisting of a groin rub for a groin pull and a massage, to be misconduct, we are not so certain that the incident qualifies as sexual misconduct, especially for a coach and trainer forty-two years ago,” Hastert’s lawyers wrote.

Hastert was paying this person over alleged sexual misconduct that took place at Yorkville High School when Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach.

Hastert pleaded guilty in October to charges of lying to the FBI and evading currency reports. He will face probation or up to five years in prison for allegedly making structured withdrawals from a bank so as not to have to report them and in order to pay $3.5 million in hush-money to Individual A.

He is scheduled to be sentenced April 27.