An Illinois lawmaker is pushing legislation to take away former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert's taxpayer-funded state pension following his conviction in a hush-money case.
Hastert receives a $28,000 annual pension from Illinois' General Assembly Retirement System from his service in the Legislature. Officials say they can't revoke his pension because his conviction wasn't related to his Statehouse career.
Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant's bill would revoke pensions for lawmakers who commit a felony against a student or other victim.
Hastert pleaded guilty to violating banking laws while seeking to pay $3.5 million to someone he sexually molested. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison. The judge called him a "a serial child molester," saying Hastert abused at least four boys while coaching high school wrestling.
