The Illinois House has suspended an effort to place a statue of former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) in the Illinois Capitol after Hastert asked lawmakers not to spend state funds on the project, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Hastert was indicted on Thursday for paying $3.5 million in hush money to someone from the town where he taught high school to keep them quiet about “prior misconduct.”
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) proposed legislation to fund
the statue, and the bill had passed through committee two weeks ago.
“(Hastert) called a month or so ago and said he appreciated the recognition and honor, but asked us to defer given the state’s financial condition,” Steve Brown, a spokesman for Madigan, told the Tribune.
Brown would not say whether the Illinois House would nix funding for the statue following Hastert’s indictment, according to the Tribune.
