CHICAGO (AP) - Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme, averting a potentially lurid trial by agreeing to a deal with federal prosecutors that recommends the former House speaker serve no more than six months in prison.
Before accepting the plea, the 73-year-old Republican was warned by the judge he could go beyond the recommendation and give Hastert up to five years behind bars when he is sentenced in February.
The hearing revealed no new details about why Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to an unidentified person. The indictment says the payments were meant to conceal past misconduct by Hastert against that person, but it does not explain the nature of the wrongdoing.
The Associated Press and other media, citing anonymous sources, have reported that the payments were meant to hide claims of sexual misconduct from decades ago.