Judge: Hastert victim can proceed with lawsuit
YORKVILLE, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois judge says a lawsuit filed by a sexual abuse victim against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert can go forward.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports Kendall County Judge Robert Pilmer filed a ruling Monday saying the plaintiff established what was needed to allege "a claim for contract."
The suit was filed in April by a man who contends the former Illinois Republican congressman owes him $1.8 million of the $3.5 million he was promised to stay silent about the abuse. Hastert's attorneys had asked Pilmer to dismiss lawsuit.
The 74-year-old Hastert is serving a 15-month prison sentence for violating banking laws in trying to silence the victim, who says he was abused decades ago while Hastert was a high school wrestling coach.
Court documents don't identify the man.