A man named Scott Cross testified in federal court Wednesday that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert sexually abused him when Cross was 17 and Hastert was a high school teacher, an incident that Cross kept secret for many years. (Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for circumventing financial laws in order to pay another sexual abuse victim; he was not prosecuted for the abuse itself because of statute-of-limitations rules.) Scott Cross’ brother Tom is an Illinois politician who worked with Hastert and once praised him as a mentor. And Wednesday the Chicago Tribune reported that Hastert actually asked Tom Cross to write Hastert’s judge a letter vouching for Hastert’s character—except that by the time Hastert asked, Tom Cross had found out about what Hastert had done to his brother:
Hastert asked the former legislator earlier this year if he would write a letter of support for his sentencing, but Tom Cross by then was aware of his brother’s allegation and did not respond, according to sources.
Wow.
Hastert acknowledged in court Wednesday that he had sexually abused other individuals but said he did not remember abusing Cross.
A number of other Hastert political allies did write letters asking the judge in his case to be lenient, praising the now-admitted sexual predator as a “man of faith” and “great integrity.” (!)
