Hastert's federal pension not in danger [View all]
Source: Chicago Tribune
Even if former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is convicted of financial improprieties and lying to the FBI, he could keep collecting pensions totaling at least $100,000, according to state and federal rules.
Hastert receives three pensions — one for his nearly 21 years in Congress, another for his six years in the state legislature and a third for 15-plus years as a high school coach and teacher. The biggest payout is the federal one, which is estimated at more than $73,000 a year.
Members of Congress must forfeit pensions for a specified group of more than 30 felony crimes, including one that Hastert stands accused of: making false statements.
But the violation must have occurred during his congressional service to trigger a pension loss, said Brett Kappel, a Washington attorney. The indictment against Hastert alleges that he lied to the FBI in December 2014 — more than seven years after he left Congress.
Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-dennis-hastert-pension-20150529-story.html
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