Surrounded by a crush of cameras, former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert slouched silently into federal court in Chicago on Tuesday for his arraignment on felony charges that he violated federal banking laws and lied to law enforcement. It was the first time Hastert had been seen or heard from since the charges — and rumors of sexual misconduct while he was a high school teacher and wrestling coach — became public. The proceedings were over in less than 20 minutes. "[Hastert] barely spoke," reports the Washington Post. "... He did not even say “not guilty” — those words were uttered by Hastert’s attorney."
Troll
Hastert pleads "not guilty" in federal court
Advertisement

Our members' donations make local journalism happen.
Support once for $1
Support monthly for $7
- Cascade PBS Passport
- Mossback members-only newsletter
- Monthly Viewer Guide
Support monthly for $25
- Invitation to quarterly news and original programming video conference
- Annual in-person meet-up with news & programming teams
- Special event perks (reduced price or free tickets, cocktails, etc.)

By Mary Bruno
Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,
Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,