Hi, Folks -

Tricky situation. :) Dennis Hastert, former speaker of the House of Representatives, was charged last month with illegally structuring bank withdrawals totaling $1.7 million which he used as partial payment on his promise to pay someone $3.5 million for remaining silent about certain prior acts of misconduct.

It's a "money structuring" offense, something made possible by the Patriot Act Hastert had backed after events of September 11, 2001, coupled with charges of lying to federal officials when asked about the purpose of those withdrawals.

There are no charges about whatever the misconduct may have been, but there's a lot of speculation about the nature of it. Citing "two people briefed on the evidence" from FBI's investigation, the New York Times said it apparently involves paying someone not to say publicly that Hastert had sexually abused him decades ago, presumably when Hastert was a wrestling coach at an Illinois high school.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/us/politics/dennis-hastert-chicago-court-appearance-for-arraignment.html

Below is an item forwarded by Reader B. (thanks, B. :), leading to an eleven-minute video in which (using a fair amount of RUDE LANGUAGE) The Young Turks discuss the situation, including the odd fact that the FBI was investigating Hastert for his series of _legally_ made withdrawals:

=====

Just one of the latest people caught up

in the Feds' pursuit of unusually large

bank withdrawals is none other than

former House Speaker, Dennis Hastert

(R-IL).

The FBI has indicted Hastert, who was

Speaker from 1999 to 2007, for having

lied to them about millions of dollars

Hastert withdrew, apparently to pay off

a man who accused him of sexual assault

while the representative was still a high

school wrestling coach.

Hastert's indictment glows with irony

because in the wake of the 9/11 attacks,

the former Representative helped steer

the Patriot Act, and its expanded currency transaction reporting requirements into

law.

Video: (11 minutes):

Former House Speaker Indicted for Covering-Up
Sexual Assault of a Minor

http://www.ForbiddenKnowledgeTV.com/page/27310.html

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