The allegation that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert sexually abused a teenage boy as an Illinois high school teacher and wrestling coach is apparently just the tip of the iceberg. Three others have also accused Hastert of sexual abuse, including two males identified by the Chicago Tribune, one of whom is dead. Stephen Reinboldt was allegedly abused by Hastert while serving as a team equipment manager at Yorkville High School a few years after Hastert began teaching in 1965. He died of AIDS in 1995, but his sister says he told her in 1980 that his first same-sex experience was with Hastert. Another accuser, a former student athlete known as Individual D, alleges he was abused late in Hastert's career at the school. He plans to provide a victim-impact statement to be read at Hastert's sentencing hearing on April 27.
Initial accuser Individual A—a relative of one of Hastert's friends—listed Hastert as a reference for his first job in the 1980s, but he quit because of a crippling anxiety disorder, per the Tribune. He and his wife eventually fell into debt, which may explain why Hastert began paying him off via illegal cash withdrawals to which Hastert pleaded guilty last year; the statute of limitations for any sexual crimes has expired. "Mr. Hastert has made mistakes in judgment and committed transgressions for which he is profoundly sorry," his lawyer says. He adds Hastert has "deteriorated both physically and emotionally, undoubtedly in part due to public shaming and humiliation," nearly died of sepsis in November, and now requires 24-hour care, per Politico. Hastert's lawyers are asking for probation, while prosecutors are seeking up to six months in jail. (More Dennis Hastert stories.)
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