Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) suffered a stroke in November — not long after pleading guilty to federal criminal charges — and has been recovering in a hospital for six weeks, Politico reported on Thursday.
“I am confirming that during the first week of November our client Dennis Hastert was admitted to the hospital,” Hastert’s attorney, Tom Green, said in a statement to Politico. “Mr. Hastert has suffered a stroke and has been treated for Sepsis. While in the hospital, two back surgeries were performed. We are very hopeful that Mr. Hastert will be released from the hospital in the early part of the new year.”
Hastert pleaded guilty Oct. 28 in a hush-money case reportedly involving a former student whom Hastert, while a high school wrestling coach, had allegedly sexually abused decades ago before Hastert launched his political career. The former speaker and prosecutors worked out a plea deal that could land Hastert in jail for zero to six months. However, the judge could hand Hastert a lengthier sentence.
Hastert was charged for hiding bank withdrawals and lying to the FBI about the hush money payments. The indictment claims that the former speaker paid an unnamed individual $100,000 in order to keep information about his past misconduct secret.
