In this file photo, former House speaker Dennis Hastert (center) arrives at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse Oct. 28 to plead guilty in a hush-money case alleging he agreed to pay someone $3.5 million to hide claims of past misconduct. The court pushed back a sentencing hearing to April citing Hastert’s health. — AP Photo/Matt Marton
A federal judge today pushed back Dennis Hastert’s sentencing in a hush-money case after defense lawyers said the former House speaker is grappling with serious health problems.
U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin moved the proceeding to April 8 from its previously set date of Feb. 29.
Hastert went into the hospital in early November after tests revealed he was suffering from a “significant infection,” John N. Gallo of Sidley, Austin LLP said during a brief hearing today at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Hastert was treated for blood and spinal infections, he said, as well as a small stroke.
“He nearly died that week,” Gallo said.
He said Hastert received inpatient treatment at a rehabilitation facility following his release from the hospital and returned home about two weeks ago.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven A. Block did not object to continuing Hastert’s sentencing.
But he asked that a definite date be set.
“There are victims in this case,” he said. “They deserve closure.”
Hastert was not at the hearing. Now 74, he represented Illinois’ 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 until 2007.
He served as speaker for the last eight years of that time, placing him second in line to succeed the president.
In October, Hastert pleaded guilty to illegally structuring the withdrawal of $952,000 from his bank accounts.
The count carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
But the sentence calculated under the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines ranges from zero to six months.
At his plea hearing, Hastert admitted he took the money out of his accounts in increments of less than $10,000 after bank officials told him they needed to report the withdrawal of larger amounts.
He said he didn’t want the officials to know how he intended to spend the money.
Hastert also admitted he had agreed to pay $3.5 million to someone identified only as Individual A.
The money was for “past misconduct” on Hastert’s part, the indictment against him alleged, as well as payment for Individual A’s silence.
The indictment suggested Individual A is someone Hastert knew when he was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Kendall County from 1965 to 1981.
Hastert’s guilty plea means Individual A’s identity and other information about the allegations against him may never be known.
But The Associated Press and other media, citing anonymous sources, have reported the payments were to conceal accusations of sexual misconduct.
Before he began structuring his withdrawals, Hastert had already taken $750,000 out of his accounts in 15 withdrawals of $50,000 each from June 2010 through April 2012.
In 2013, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service began investigating whether Hastert’s withdrawals constituted illegal structuring.
A count of lying to FBI agents during the inquiry was dropped from the indictment after Hastert pleaded guilty to the structuring count.
The case is United States v. John Dennis Hastert, No. 15 CR 315.