Anonymous federal sources are speaking to the LA Times, and the story isn't pretty. It also confirms why he is resigning hastily from the Wheaton College Center that bears his name as well as the lobbying firm he's been working for.
One of the officials, who would not speak publicly about the federal charges in Chicago, said “Individual A,” as the person is described in Thursday’s federal indictment, was a man and that the alleged misconduct was unrelated to Hastert’s tenure in Congress. The actions date to Hastert’s time as a Yorkville, Ill., high school wrestling coach and teacher, the official said.
“It goes back a long way, back to then,” the source said. “It has nothing to do with public corruption or a corruption scandal. Or to his time in office.” Thursday’s indictment described the misconduct “against Individual A” as having “occurred years earlier.”
Asked why Hastert was making the payments, the official said it was to conceal Hastert’s past relationship with the male. “It was sex,’’ the source said. The other official confirmed that the misconduct involved sexual abuse.
Cue the homophobic right wing's misdirected and misguided outrage at how gays corrupt even the most pristine public officials in 3, 2, 1...
Update: Some folks are tweeting stories from the Mark Foley days worth considering in light of this news.
