Trustees of an Illinois state retirement board on Wednesday terminated the pension that imprisoned former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert received for his almost six years of service in the Illinois General Assembly.
Hastert pleaded guilty in October 2015 to one count of illegally structuring bank withdrawals to evade bank currency-reporting requirements, all stemming from the cover-up of his sexual abuse of high school wrestlers he coached during his 17 years at Yorkville High School.
The General Assembly Retirement System's board of trustees voted 5 to 2 Wednesday to end the pension. In January, Hastert filed a counterclaim seeking repayment of $1.7 million, saying that any "hush money" already paid was illegal, and even if it wasn't, his victim violated the deal by speaking with authorities about it.
Hastert's release from prison is scheduled for August 2017. He still receives a federal pension of about $73,000 annually from his time in Congress.
MCD: Congress bags 11 pc more votes than Assembly polls, AAP loses
He stated that while the Congress has seen a "reasonable revival" it could have "performed a little better". The resignation phase started with AAP convenor Dilip Pandey resigning following the election results.
On Wednesday, State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) said revoking the state lawmaker pension isn't enough.
Hastert's attorneys declined comment on the decision Wednesday. "It should be eliminated".
The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights reports that the board's executive secretary is recommending that it approve a reduced lawmakers' pension for Hastert of about $9,000 a year.
Another board member, Republican State Rep. David Harris from Arlington Heights, said the board should have followed a recommendation from the IL attorney general's office to reduce Hastert's pension to $9,000 dollars a year.
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