An Illinois judge says a lawsuit filed by a sexual abuse victim against former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert can go forward. The suit was filed in April by a man who contends the former Illinois Republican congressman owes him $1.8 million of the $3.5 million he was promised to stay silent about the abuse. Hastert's attorneys had asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit.
The 74-year-old Hastert is serving a 15-month prison sentence for violating banking laws in trying to silence the victim, who says he was abused decades ago while Hastert was a high school wrestling coach. Court documents don't identify the man.
