Ex-Speaker Dennis Hastert Sentenced to 15 Months In Prision

Politician sent to prison for money scandal, draws controversy with sexual assault accusations.

Dennis Hastert in wheelchair arriving in Chicago for sentencing.

Joshua Lott / Getty Images

Dennis Hastert in wheelchair arriving in Chicago for sentencing.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison today for paying hush money. He also received two years supervised release after his accuser Scott Cross made himself public.

According to NBC News, “a judge… called him a ‘serial child molester’ and ordered him to enroll in a sex-offender treatment program.”

An individual called “Individual A” sued Dennis for the rest of the money he was promised after he confronted him and asked to be payed for his pain and suffering, which was $3.5 million. When Dennis was a teacher and a wrestling coach, he molested four boys ages 14 to 17. Dennis never said he did abuse the children, but he never denied that he did either, even after Scott and Jolene Burdge, sister of a deceased victim, spoke out against him.

“I asked him, ‘When was your first same-sex experience?’ He looked at me and said, ‘It was with Dennis Hastert,’” Burge said, according to ABC news. “I was stunned.”

Burdge said she asked her brother why he never told anyone.

“And he just turned around and kind of looked at me and said, ‘Who is ever going to believe me?’ [Hastert] was not charged for that, but he still has to register as a sex offender.”

This case brings rage to everyday people.

“He should be sentenced to life because he had three strikes against him; sexual assault, hush money and secreted money taking it in and out,” junior Emily Bronswick said.