Ex-House Speaker Dennis Hastert In Plea Negotations

[Purveyor]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s lawyers say they’re trying to resolve his criminal case short of an embarrassing two-week trial, and that means plea talks are likely underway.

But if those negotiations fail, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin said he’d prefer Hastert’s trial to begin as soon as March or April. The judge made that announcement as both sides appeared in court Monday on an otherwise routine motion to extend filing deadlines in the case.

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Federal prosecutors unveiled an indictment in May that charged Hastert with skirting banking laws and lying to the FBI as part of an alleged $3.5 million hush-money scheme. The former speaker pleaded not guilty to the charges in a highly anticipated June 9 arraignment in Chicago.

Sources have told the Sun-Times that Hastert paid millions of dollars to a longtime male acquaintance to cover up alleged sexual misconduct. Hastert lawyer Thomas Green has since called leaks to the media “unconscionable.”

Read more: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/994570/dennis-hastert-go-trial-early-march

[geek tragedy]

1. his old job is open, that would probably be cruel and unusual punishment though nt

[virtualobserver]

2. Plea don't make me go to jail

[lobodons]

3. Hastert skirting banking laws and lying to the FBI as part of an alleged $3.5 million hush-money

Hastert is involved with Plea deal to stay out of jail, meanwhile Blago gets 13 years for talking about quid pro quo for Obama's Senate seat. Unreal.

[Mnemosyne]

4. K&R with hopes that he ends up in jail. Hey, I can dream, can't I? nt

[Octafish]

5. Sweaty Denny did the Systemic Thing.

Veteran defense attorney Michael Ettinger said Hastert’s team is probably trying to avoid jail time for their client and limit the number of embarrassing details released in any plea agreement. Ettinger said Hastert may have a chance of avoiding time behind bars, especially if he argues he’s been extorted by the alleged victim in his case.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/994570/dennis-hastert-go-trial-early-march

Too many secrets for a trial here, Comrade Colonel General Director Petraeus guy.

[Boomerproud]

6. Haven't heard a word about this in months.

The MSM doesn't care about it, I guess.

[LiberalElite]

7. Heh. I had to wonder when reading the title -

which Republican scandal is this one again?

[brooklynite]

8. No fair jumping to conclusions!