Latest on Dennis Hastert: Resident defends ex-House speaker

7:35 p.m. (CDT)

A man whose son wrestled for Dennis Hastert in high school says everyone loved him when he was a teacher.

David Corwin of Yorkville said his son, Scott, wrestled for Hastert at Yorkville High School in suburban Chicago, then later became a wrestling coach himself.

Hastert was charged Thursday with withdrawing $952,000 in cash in small amounts to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. The former U.S. House speaker is also charged with lying to the FBI.

David Corwin told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that “You won’t get anyone to say anything bad about him out here.”

The indictment says Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to an unidentified person to hide “prior misconduct” against that person. The indictment does not describe the misconduct Hastert was trying to conceal.

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7:15 p.m. (CDT)

Before Dennis Hastert got into politics, he spent 16 years teaching government, history and economics at a suburban Chicago high school.

The former U.S. House speaker also coached football and wrestling at Yorkville High School.

The 73-year-old Illinois Republican was charged Thursday with withdrawing $952,000 in cash in small amounts to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. He’s also charged with lying to the FBI.

The indictment says the recipient of the hush money has been a resident of Yorkville and has known Hastert most of the person’s life.

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7 p.m. (CDT)

An indictment against Dennis Hastert says federal authorities began investigating his bank withdrawals in 2013.

Among the focuses of the FBI investigation was whether Hastert, in the words of the indictment, was “the victim of a criminal extortion related to, among other matters, his prior positions in government.” The court document does not elaborate.

The indictment says Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to an unidentified person to hide “prior misconduct” against that person.

The indictment does not describe the misconduct Hastert was trying to conceal.

The 73-year-old Illinois Republican is charged with withdrawing $952,000 in cash in small amounts to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. He’s also charged with lying to the FBI.

5:50 p.m. (CDT)

A federal indictment against Dennis Hastert does not identify the person it says the former U.S. House speaker agreed to pay to keep quiet about “prior misconduct.”

However, it says the person has known Hastert most of the person’s life. It also says the person has been a resident of Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert was a high school teacher and coach from 1965 to 1981.

The indictment says Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million to the unidentified person for misconduct against that person. The indictment does not describe the misconduct Hastert was trying to conceal.

The details were included in an indictment in which the 73-year-old Illinois Republican is charged with withdrawing $952,000 in cash in small amounts to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. He’s also charged with lying to the FBI.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges Thursday.

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5:10 p.m. (CDT)

A federal indictment against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert says he agreed to pay $3.5 million to hide “prior misconduct” against an unidentified person.

The indictment says Hastert agreed to pay the money to the unidentified person. The indictment does not describe the misconduct Hastert was trying to conceal.

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4:45 p.m. (CDT)

Dennis Hastert was a little-known lawmaker from a suburban Chicago district when he became the speaker of the U.S. House in 1999.

He succeeded conservative firebrand Newt Gingrich. Hastert went on to become the GOP’s longest-serving speaker. He served until 2007.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced bank-related charges against Hastert.

Hastert was generally viewed as a congenial lawmaker, typically called “coach” by his GOP colleagues.

He did not immediately return message seeking comment Thursday about the federal indictment against him.

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4:30 p.m. (CDT)

The Associated Press has left messages seeking comment from former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert about federal bank-related charges against him.

A message left with a person at Hastert’s Washington, D.C., office was not immediately returned Thursday. An email sent to Hastert also was not immediately returned.

A statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago says the 73-year-old Illinois Republican is charged with structuring a withdrawal of $952,000 in cash to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. He’s also charged with lying to the FBI.

Each of the two counts he faces carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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4:20 p.m. (CDT)

Federal prosecutors have announced bank-related charges against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

A statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago says the 73-year-old Illinois Republican is accused of structuring the withdrawal of $952,000 in cash in order to evade the requirement that banks report cash transactions over $10,000. He’s also accused of lying to the FBI.

Each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

From 2010 to 2014, Hastert withdrew a total of approximately $1.7 million in cash from various bank accounts and provided it to a person identified only as Individual A, according to the indictment.

In December last year, “Hastert falsely stated that he was keeping the cash” when questioned by the FBI, the prosecutor’s statement says.

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4:15 p.m. (CDT)

Federal prosecutors have announced bank-related charges against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert.