Dennis Hastert To Plead Guilty In Hush-Money Case, Attorney Says

An attorney for Dennis Hastert told a federal judge Thursday that the former House speaker intends to plead guilty in a federal hush-money case. John Gallo said during a brief hearing that he expects to have a written plea agreement by Monday. And he asked the judge to set a date for a change of plea. The judge scheduled an Oct. 28 hearing. Gallo did not mention any of the terms, including what counts Hastert would plead guilty to. A plea deal would avert a trial and help keep any potentially embarrassing secrets quiet. The 73-year-old Illinois Republican is charged with breaking banking laws and lying to the FBI in efforts to pay someone $3.5 million to hide claims of past misconduct.