Update: DOJ is calling the story false. Hastert's office is demanding a retraction. I thought the story sounded light. But following political reporting these days is starting to read like the damned Da Vinci Code.
Statement from Ron Bonjean, Communications Director for Speaker Hastert
(Washington, D.C.) Ron Bonjean, Communications Director for Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) issued the following statement regarding the ABC Nightly News story that aired this evening:
"The ABC News report is absolutely untrue. As confirmed by the Justice Department, 'Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department.' We are demanding a full retraction of the ABC News story. The Speaker's earlier statement issued today accurately reflects the facts regarding this matter."
At first I was mostly going to dismiss this breaking report due to a lack of any real substance. And being in the mix of something isn't necessarily a crime.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI, which is seeking to determine his role in an ongoing public corruption probe into members of Congress, ABC News has learned from senior U.S. law enforcement officials.
Federal officials say the information implicating Hastert was developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.
Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with other tribes.
But it's not exactly comforting to learn that Hastert was also Abramoff's number one man, though not by much. See link below. And what's up with Patty Murray at $50k?
According to the Center for Public Responsive, House Speaker Dennis Hastert is the No.1 individual recipient of money from Abramoff and his clients, with a total of $68,300 contributed to his campaign committee and leadership PAC from 1998 to 2004.
Click here to see the list of "Jack Abramoff and his Clients: Campaign Contribution Recipients."
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