Ex-House Speaker Denny Hastert negotiating plea deal

A judge will rule on a request by former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert to delay a deadline for pre-trial motions in his hush-money case.

But if those negotiations fail, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin said Monday during a court hearing that he’d prefer Hastert’s trial to begin as soon as March or April.

The disclosure came during a federal court hearing in Chicago, though details weren’t immediately released.

An indictment handed down in May alleges that the Republican agreed to pay the money to a person identified only as “Individual A”, but offers no details about the alleged misconduct.

The Associated Press and other media, quoting unnamed sources, has informed that the payments were proposed to mask claims of sexual misconduct decades back.

Hastert plead not guilty on Monday.

The alleged assault happened when Hastert was a high school teacher in Yorkville. The judge scheduled a status update for October 15th.

One of Hastert’s attorneys, John Gallo, told the judge they have been discussing with federal prosecutors a possible resolution to the case short of a trial.

“That’s the blade they have been dangling over his head”, stated Andrew Herman, an eminent Washington-based attorney who previously embodied clients besieged by ethics inquiries in Congress. He remains free on bond.

While Hastert’s indictment is vague, embarrassing details could spill out if the case goes to trial.

Plea deals are common in federal cases, where defendants seek lesser sentences in exchange for guilty pleas. They said prosecutors would likely want to provide jurors with at least a few information about the underlying allegations that aren’t detailed in the indictment, such as the identity of “Individual A”.