Tag Archives: durkin

Hastert victim:  Ex-Speaker abused nine boys

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert departs the federal courthouse Wednesday, April 27, 2016, in Chicago, after his sentencing on federal banking charges which he pled guilty to last year. Hastert was sentenced to more than a year in prison in the hush-money case that included accusations he sexually abused teenagers while coaching high school wrestling. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert departs the federal courthouse Wednesday, April 27, 2016, in Chicago, after his sentencing on federal banking charges which he pled guilty to last year. Hastert was sentenced to more than a year in prison in the hush-money case that included accusations he sexually abused teenagers while coaching high school wrestling. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

 

By  John Dempsey, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) How many teenage boys did Dennis Hastert sexually abuse?  One of his victims says the number may be as high as nine.

Scott Cross told Politico’s Natasha Korecki he has personally confirmed that the former U.S. Speaker of the House abused nine boys when he was the Yorkville High School wrestling coach in the 60’s and 70’s, not five as court records have suggested.

Cross is the brother of Hastert’s one time political protege Tom Cross, the former Illinois House Republican leader who stepped down from the legislature two years ago in a losing bid for State Treasurer.

​Scott Cross delivered dramatic, emotional testimony before U.S. Judge Thomas Durkin on Wednesday, telling the court that Hastert sexually abused him when Cross was a star wrestler for Yorkville High in the late 70’s.

Scott Cross also told Politico that Hastert, “….has his bed to lie in. His time will come; the maker’s got his number.”

Judge Durkin gave Hastert a 15 month prison term and fined him $250,000, calling Hastert a “serial child molester.”

Because the statute of limitations has run out on the child abuse allegations, Durkin could only sentence Hastert for banking law violations,  for failing to report withdrawals he made to pay another victim, known in court papers as “Individual A.”

Individual A has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Hastert, for failing to pay all of the money they agreed upon, as compensation for Hastert’s past abuse.

During a hearing on the suit Thursday, Kendall County Judge Robert Pilmer ruled the suit can go forward, but told Individual A’s attorney the man may have to eventually disclose his identity, something the man does not want to do at this point.

The next hearing in the case is July 25th.

Read the Politico story here..

@ 2016 WLS-AM News

Rauner signs education stopgap; GOP leader predicts budget deal “by the end of May.”​

By John Dempsey, WLS News

Rauner signs education stopgap; GOP leader predicts budget deal “by the end of May.”

Governor Bruce Rauner has signed a bill to provide $600 million in emergency assistance to Illinois colleges and universities, the first sign of a possible easing of the months-long legislative logjam between Rauner and Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

As he signed the bill, Rauner said “This legislation doesn’t solve our budget crisis or help our economy grow, but it does represent a first step toward compromise between Democrats and Republicans. Now is the time to build on this bipartisan momentum and focus on enacting a truly balanced budget for Fiscal Years 2016-2017 alongside meaningful reforms that create jobs and free up resources for education, social services and infrastructure.”

Before Rauner signed Senate Bill 2059, Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin (R) Western Springs, told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS that he thinks the budget standoff can end by the end of May.

“I’m hopeful we can have an FY (fiscal year) 16 and FY 17 budget that we can accomplish by the end of May. We have members that are now saying ‘Enough’s enough. Let’s get this done.'”

Durkin is basing his optimism on last week’s bipartisan agreement on the education funding bill that Rauner signed this morning.

“I am hopeful, I mean I’m gonna be optimistic” Durkin told WLS. ” We finally had some movement within the last week where we had a bipartisan solution to a very serious problem, that is our higher-ed budget.

However Durkin’s Republican Senate counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R) Lemont, does not necessarily share his optimism.

On the Senate floor on Friday, Radogno said “These stopgap measures relieve some pressure, but we still have a lot of work to do and we shouldn’t break our arms patting ourselves on the back with this measure.”

Also powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan said Friday, “Only time will tell if Governor Rauner has further intentions of destroying our State institutions and human service providers.”

Madigan and Republican Governor Bruce Rauner are locked in a power struggle over Rauner’s plan to impose union-weakening business reforms, which Madigan says would destroy the middle class.

However despite Madigan’s comment, Durkin tells WLS “We had a leader’s meeting a few weeks back. First time in many months. And I felt that meeting was the most productive meeting we’ve had in over a year, which we actually agreed on things, things that we talked about privately. And we have certain things going on in Springfield that are meant to solve the budget.”

Here’s the interview on “The Big John Howell” show:

@ WLS-AM 890 News, 2016

Illinois Senate, House pass college funding bill

FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Rauner said Monday March 21, 2016, that he'll support whoever the Republican nominee for president is, including if it's Donald Trump. Rauner made the statement during his first public comments since last week's election where Trump won the GOP presidential primary in Illinois. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
FILE – In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

 

(CHICAGO) A $600 million temporary funding fix for financially struggling Illinois colleges and universities has finally passed in Springfield after lawmakers delayed a vote Thursday. The House and Senate was expected to vote on it Thursday, but instead adjourned for the night.

Republican House Leader Jim Durkin told lawmakers Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign the bill. In a statement, Rauner said, “By passing this bipartisan agreement, lawmakers in both chambers put aside political differences to provide emergency assistance for higher education, ensuring universities and community colleges remain open and low-income students can pay for school.  We are hopeful the General Assembly will build on this bipartisan momentum in the weeks ahead as we negotiate a balanced budget with reform for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017.”

@ 2016 WLS-AM News