Hastert attorney complains of sex-related leaks
Lawyers for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert filed a complaint with a federal judge Thursday over the leaking to the media of decades of sexual harassment allegations against the prominent ex-politician, who is awaiting trial on charges of circumventing federal banking law and lying to the FBI. according to the Associated Press.
Hastert’s defense attorney, Tom Green, who appeared by phone during a brief hearing in federal court in Chicago, argued that the leak could undermine Hastert’s right to a fair trial. Green said he may demand a regulatory investigation. He called the revelations “callous” and insisted they “must stop,” according to the AP.
Within about a day of Hastert’s indictment last month, media reports citing unidentified law enforcement sources suggested that Hastert had been paid to cover up “prior misconduct” with a male student at the Illinois high school where Hastert taught and coached wrestling from 1964 to 1981. until indicted on charges related to a scheme to cover up about $1.7 million in hush money paid to an unnamed “Individual A.”
Green did not immediately seek specific relief from U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Durkin. Prosecutor Steven Block said the government is taking the leak seriously and is opening an investigation into the leak.
Hastert was not required to be present at Thursday’s hearing and did not participate. Durkin set another trial date for July 18.While the leaks may violate the law, Justice Department guidelines or grand jury confidentiality rules, it’s unclear how much more damaging the anonymous reports were than other allegations that have surfaced publicly.
Earlier this month, the sister of a former student who worked as an equipment manager for a wrestling team coached by Hastert said her brother told her he had his first sexual experience with Hastert as a teenager three decades ago. The woman, Jolene Burdge, told ABC News that she confronted Hastert about the allegation at her brother’s funeral in 1995, and the then-congressman did not respond.
Hastert’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment on Burdge’s allegations, although ABC reported that Hastert denied the allegations when he first learned of the sexual assault in 2006. The network did not report the allegations at the time.
