By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 75, who had long been regarded in the public eye as just a Regular Joe from the Midwest — that is until his scandal emerged — has been released from a federal prison hospital in Minnesota and transferred to a halfway house in Chicago, Josh Gerstein of Politico reports.
Hastert pleaded guilty last year to violating money laundering laws in a case that shocked the country and Beltway insiders. The scandal stemmed from hush money he paid to conceal sexual abuse he committed of students while he was a high school teacher and coach several decades ago.
A federal judge in Chicago sentenced him to 15 months.
Hastert was never charged in the sexual abuse cases because of the statute of limitations. But Politico notes that two men are suing him, alleging they were abused as kids.
