Thursday, October 29, 2015

DENNIS HASTERT- FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PLEADS GUILTY-TWO DIFFERENT LEGAL SYSTEMS


                               Disgraced Former Speaker of The House-Dennis Hastert



There are two separate justice systems in the United States.

While both systems are dysfunctional, each serves the purpose of ignoring the laws 

of our Country. 

There is the justice system specifically designed for the rich, famous, politically 

connected such as Dennis Hastert,  and it bends over backwards to not hold those 


accountable for breaking laws.

Then there is the justice system for the rest of us, designed to intimidate, bully, 

screw us, in particular, to abuse the victims, dismiss the dignity of regular citizens, 


by using prosecutorial overreach (misconduct) to gain whatever predetermined 


result is deemed "proper by those in power.
  
I did a story some time ago about the unethical, inappropriate abuse of Aron Swartz 

by the U.S. Prosecutors Office, ultimately leading to Swartz committing suicide.

I have personally witnessed the abuse of Prosecutors powers in both my father's 

murder and the killing of my son Steven. 

We read, view, and hear about how the law is twisted like a pretzel to provide all 

kinds of abuses by the legal, law enforcement, justice, and Court systems.

Now we have the case of disgraced former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, the
longest serving Republican House Speaker.

Hastert's is a case that should outrage every American.


He’s a raging hypocrite.


He’s a personal and political sleazebag.


After leaving Congress he has been one of the leading lobbyists in Washington, 

trading his political connections to advocate for Corporations, and making huge 


amounts of money in the process.

In a supposed free, democratic, nation, everyone is equal under the law, but instead 

in reality the legal system gives certain people, very special easy treatment


Here in America we are supposed to live under a fair and just system of law, and by 

any reasonable count this entire Hasert case is an absolute disgrace.

Hastert pleaded guilty this past Wednesday to structuring money transactions in a 


way to evade requirements to report where the money was going.

The money, investigators said, went to pay someone identified as "Individual A", 


$3.5 million in hush money.

In addition, Hastert was charged with making false statements to federal 


investigators.

As part of a plea deal, Hastert pleaded guilty only to the count of hiding money 


transactions.

Two sources with knowledge of the federal investigation told CNN in 


June that Hastert was paying a former student to stay quiet about allegations of 


sexual abuse from when he was a wrestling coach and teacher in Yorkville, Illinois.


There are additional multiple reliable reports that he was also covering up additional 

allegations of sexual misconduct with other students dating from when he was a 


high school wrestling coach about 30 years ago. 

Hastert is not facing jail time for the sexual conduct, if any. No charges have been 


brought or answered. 

Amazingly, no-one is pursuing the reports to investigate the alleged sexual abuse by 


him, and other reports that there are additional victims that he may have abused.


Is Dennis Hastert an alleged pedophile or not?


We will probably never know, because unlike others who would be prosecuted to the 

fullest extent of the law for such heinous behavior, mysteriously, prosecturorial 


discretion magically decided to cut him a plea bargain deal.


Prosecutors recommended that the judge consider the federal sentencing 


guidelines, which given Hastert's crime and lack of previous criminal history, is a 


sentence ranging from no prison time up to six months.

The sentencing date was set for February 29.

"As part of the sentencing process in this case, as in all cases, we will provide the 


court with relevant information about the defendant's background and the charged 


offenses, and the defendant will have an opportunity to do the same, so that the 


court can impose an appropriate sentence taking into account all relevant factors in 


the case," the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois said in a 


statement.

Hastert initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but Hastert's defense team entered 

negotiations with prosecutors last month.

Whoever Individual A is, it’s not rocket science to figure out he’s got something big on Hastert.

And that something is worth $3.5 million to the former speaker.

From 2010 to 2014, Hastert withdrew approximately $1.7 million in cash from various 


bank accounts, providing the money to “Individual A.”

Then in July 2012, Hastert started withdrawing money in increments slightly less 


than $10,000, allegedly to evade the bank’s reporting as required by law for 


withdrawals of $10,000 or more.

When these transactions caught the attention of the FBI, agents met with Hastert in 


December of last year.

He lied to them, telling them he didn’t trust the banks, triggering an F.B.I criminal 

investigation. Washington being Washington, there is of course speculation about 


what this deep, dark secret is that it was worth $3.5 million to Hastert to keep it quiet.

A former Republican congressional aide put it this way: “He opened himself up to 


blackmail and paid an enormous amount of money. 
Whatever the underlying cause, it must be so abhorrent to the people who elected him, or it was illegal,or both.

In announcing his original indictment, the FBI must know the identity of Individual A, 


and that Hastert for some time has been paying off this person.

One has to assume Individual A has irrefutable proof of whatever acts Hastert has 


paid so much to conceal. 

Each count in the indictment for evading federal reporting requirements and lying to 


the FBI carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine. 

But, if you are very rich like Hastert you can hire the best high priced lawyers and 

manipulate the legal system designed for very important people such as him.



It stinks, but this is just another example of the broken justice system at work.