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June 8, 2015

Sister, Friend Identify former High School Student as Hastert Victim 
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Two people have come forward with specific allegations of child
molestation against former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Hastert was
indicted last month on federal charges of lying to the FBI and illegally
paying $3.5 million to hide alleged "misconduct." FBI sources say
Hastert was making payments to a former student to conceal sexual abuse
that occurred during Hastert's previous career as a high school teacher
and coach in Illinois. Now the sister and a classmate of another former
student, Stephen Reinboldt, have identified him as at least the second
potential victim of Hastert's abuse. The unidentified friend spoke to
NBC News.

Unidentified: "He started to talk about his relationship with Denny
Hastert, and told me that they had been sexual. And I was flabbergasted.
I said, what do you mean? And he said, well, we would do things
sexually, and it would sometimes start with a massage."

Meanwhile Stephen Reinboldt's sister, Jolene Burdge, said she found out
when Reinbolt told her he was gay.

Jolene Burdge: "I asked him, ‘When was your first same-sex
experience?’ He looked at me and said, 'It was with Dennis Hastert.' I
was stunned. And he just turned around and kind of looked at me and
said, 'Who is ever going to believe me?'"

Reinbolt died of AIDS in 1995. According to Jolene Burdge, Hastert
showed up at her brother's funeral. She says she confronted Hastert
about the abuse.

Jolene Burdge: "He just stood there and stared at me. Then I just
continued to say, 'I want you to know your secret didn’t die in there
with my brother. And I want you to remember that I’m out here and that
I know.'"

The former student whom Hastert was paying has not been identified.
According to CBS News, authorities believe there could be a third
victim. Hastert served as speaker of the House from 1999 to 2007, making
him the longest-serving Republican speaker in history.

 

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