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| Dennis Hastert pleads guilty in hush-money case | Dennis Hastert pleads guilty in hush-money case |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Former US Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert has pleaded guilty in a case tied to hush-money. | Former US Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert has pleaded guilty in a case tied to hush-money. |
| The 73-year-old was charged with lying and breaking financial laws in an attempt to pay $3.5m (£2.3m) to cover up "misconduct". | The 73-year-old was charged with lying and breaking financial laws in an attempt to pay $3.5m (£2.3m) to cover up "misconduct". |
| The admission is part of deal with prosecutors that could see Mr Hastert serve up to six months in prison. | The admission is part of deal with prosecutors that could see Mr Hastert serve up to six months in prison. |
| The plea represents a dramatic fall for the former senior US politician. | The plea represents a dramatic fall for the former senior US politician. |
| There are conflicting reports about which charge the former house speaker has pleaded guilty to. | |
| However, it is believed that in return for the guilty plea prosecutors have asked the judge for a sentence of up to six months. | |
| The charges may be connected to his history as a teacher and wrestling coach in Illinois in the 1970s. | |
| One woman has said Mr Hastert sexually abused her brother then and she believes he was not the only victim. | |
| Mr Hastert was not charged with sexual abuse as part of the case. | |
| Jolene Burdge told ABC News in June that her late brother Steve Reinboldt never came forward about the alleged abuse because he feared "no-one would believe him". | |
| She said he told her about the abuse in 1979, when he revealed he was gay. | |
| The FBI interviewed Ms Burdge, who has considered coming forward with her brother's story in the past, in May. | |
| Ms Burdge never asked Mr Hastert for money, but she thinks the unnamed person cited in the case as being paid off knows what happened to her brother. |