Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
How the feds built their unprecedented case against Dennis Hastert
Former U.S. House speaker Dennis Hastert is one of the highest-ranking elected officials in American history ever to spend time in prison. The former wrestling coach and teacher at Yorkville High School was sentenced in April 2016 for allegedly paying hush money to cover up accusations that he sexually abused teenage boys on his wrestling team. FBI special agent Lisa Strong and special agent Joe Guest of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation division spoke to the Sun-Times about their first interview with Hastert concerning the hush money, which took place at Hastert’s Plano home in December 2014. The FBI had Hastert on its “radar” even in 2012, according to the agents. “I think it’s important for everybody to understand that no one’s above the law,” Strong told the newspaper. “And it doesn’t matter if you happen to be a person who used to create the law. You’re not above the law.” [Sun-Times]
