Hastert To Victim: 'How Much?'

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — Months after trying to get his accuser to pay him back some $1.7 million in so-called hush money, former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert apparently wants to settle with his accuser. The accuser, identified in court filings variously "Individual A" and "James Doe" is seeking $1.8 million, the remainder of the money he says Hastert agreed to pay him to to keep quiet — and Hastert's attorney is now asking to settle, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The victim was one of the students coached by Hastert in the 1970s. In a lawsuit filed in 2016, he claims that Hastert molested him during a wrestling trip when he was 14 years old. The suit claims Doe met with Hastert in 2010 after learning the former speaker had allegedly abused others. During the discussions, Hastert reportedly acknowledged his guilt and agreed to compensate Doe for it — to the tune of $3.5 million, according to the suit. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Yorkville — or your town. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Hastert attorney John Ellis on Wednesday reportedly asked Doe's attorney, Kristi Browne, how much Doe would be willing to accept to settle the case, according to the Tribune. But it's too early to think of settling for less than the $1.8 million currently being sought, she said, adding, "I can't imagine coming down."

Hastert stopped making payments to Doe in December 2014 after the FBI questioned Hastert about the large bank withdrawals he was making.

In April 2016, Hastert was sentenced 15 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for lying to the FBI and evading federal rules governing bank transactions. In court, he apologized for having "mistreated some of my athletes as coach."

In January, Hastert filed a counterclaim against Doe, requesting repayment of the $1.7 million in "hush money" sent prior to the FBI investigation, saying that if an alleged agreement between the two existed, Doe violated it by talking to authorities. Doe responded by refusing to back down, filing a response saying he is still seeking the remaining $1.8 million he says Hastert agreed to pay him.

• RELATED: Dennis Hastert Loses State Lawmaker Pension

Hastert is slated to be released from prison this summer.

Photo: Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the Dirksen Federal Court House in a wheelchair after his sentencing on April 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Joshua Lott/Getty Images/Getty Images News