Dennis Hastert Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

(27 Apr 2016) A federal judge has sentenced Dennis Hastert to 15 months in prison in a hush-money case that centered on accusations that the former U.S. House speaker sexually abused at least four students when he was a high school wrestling coach. Judge Thomas M. Durkin announced the sentence Wednesday. Hastert also must undergo sex offender treatment, two years of supervised release after his time behind bars and a $250,000 fine to go to a crime victims fund. He pleaded guilty last fall to violating banking law as he sought to pay someone referred to as Individual A $3.5 million to keep sex abuse secret. U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon says those who testified in federal court about being sexually abused by Hastert were "courageous" and critical to ensuring a "day of reckoning." He was the nation's longest-serving GOP speaker and was second in the line of succession to the presidency. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...