Federal prosecutors filed a motion Friday asking a judge to place “sensitive information” in the case against former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) under seal, including the identity of the individual with whom Hastert allegedly struck an agreement to pay out $3.5 million in hush money for reported sexual abuse.
“The discovery to be provided by the Government in this case includes sensitive information, the unrestricted dissemination of which could adversely affect law enforcement interests and the privacy interests of third parties,” prosecutors said in the motion, which they said was unopposed by Hastert’s legal team.
The text of the proposed order also states that once Hastert’s case is closed any materials submitted during discovery will be destroyed, returned to the government or retained in the defense attorneys’ case file.
The text of the order does not make reference to “Individual A,” the person against whom Hastert committed some “prior misconduct” years before the alleged hush money agreement was struck in 2010. But the identity of that person would certainly be protected under seal as “sensitive information” — even after the case concludes — if Judge Thomas M. Durkin grants the motion.
Anonymous federal law enforcement sources told multiple news outlets that “Individual A” was a male student at a high school in Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach prior to his election to Congress. The “prior misconduct” on Hastert’s part was sexual abuse, the sources alleged.
Hastert was not charged with sexual abuse, though. He was indicted last month on charges of structuring bank withdrawals to avoid federal reporting requirements and lying to the FBI about those withdrawals. Hastert pleaded not guilty to both charges in his first court appearance last week.
A hearing on the motion was scheduled for Thursday in U.S. district court in Chicago.
Read the motion below:
