An alleged sexual abuse victim might testify in the sentencing of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
A U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois has postponed sentencing Hastert, who was convicted last year of a banking scheme known as structuring, as well as lying to federal investigators.
Sentencing was moved to the last week in April to accommodate someone prosecutors identified in court transcripts as “Individual D.,” who will likely testify that Hastert molested him.
“Let’s not beat around the bush,” Judge Thomas Durkin said, “If Individual D wants to come in and talk about being a victim of sexual abuse, he’s entitled to do so because that informs my decision about the history and characteristics of the defendant.”
Hastert withdrew large amounts of money to pay off an unnamed person who Hastert supposedly abused sexually while he was a high school wrestling coach and the person involved was a student.
It’s not clear whether Individual D is the person Hastert paid $3.5 million.
The hearing postponement comes at the request of government lawyers who said the witness will be away on a business trip during the original sentencing date of April 8.
Hastert lawyer John Gallo told the court, “It is not our present intention to contest the allegations made by Individual D,” and indicated his testimony has been submitted in written form because he was a government witness in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Block said at the hearing that Individual D, “is going to testify or give a statement about … how this has affected his life.”
Block said Individual D has not made a final decision about speaking at the sentencing hearing and called him “a very unique witness who we’re trying to be sensitive to.”
A second witness who was not identified by name but who will likely testify at the sentencing hearing, lawyers said, is the sister of a former Hastert student who committed suicide. Jolene Burdge has appeared on news programs accusing Hastert of molesting her brother when Hastert was his teacher and coach.
The judge said he would accept her testimony, too, although Hastert’s lawyers said her testimony would be hearsay.
Hastert, who served as speaker from 1999 until 2007, is facing a six-month jail term.
