Ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert indicted on bank charges, accused of lying to FBI

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has indicted former House Speaker Dennis Hastert on reporting evasion charges and lying to the FBI as part of an effort to pay off victims of “prior bad acts.”

In an indictment handed down in the District Court of Northern Illinois, the Department of Justice and IRS charged Hastert, 73, with illegally transferring funds in an effort to avoid detection by the IRS, a scheme known as “structuring.”

In the indictment, Hastert is accused of agreeing to pay one individual $3.5 million.

Although the indictment specifies neither the “bad acts” nor the victims, sources said they could be from before Hastert, who is now a lobbyist in Washington, entered politics in 1980.

Hastert spent 20 years in the House representing Illinois, and was elected Speaker of the House in 1999 after former Speaker Newt Gingrich retired and the heir-apparent, former Rep. Bob Livingston, abruptly retired amidst charges he had carried on inappropriate sexual affairs.  More

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