5 years later: Lawsuit between ex-U.S. House Speaker Hastert, sexual abuse accuser ‘James Doe’ ends

YORKVILLE – Five years after it was filed, a lawsuit came to an end Wednesday between former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and a man who claims the former lawmaker sexually abused him as a child and then refused to pay him $1.8 million for his silence.

Chief Judge Robert Pilmer of the 23rd Circuit Court filed an order to dismiss the case Wednesday, ending the lawsuit, court records show. The lawsuit was brought forward by a man known in Kendall County court records as “James Doe,” in April 2016.

“This case is dismissed, in its entirety, with prejudice pursuant to the confidential settlement agreement reached between the parties,” Pilmer wrote in the documents. “Each attorney shall bear its own attorneys’ fees and costs. The court shall retain jurisdiction for the limited purpose of enforcing the settlement agreement between the parties.”

Attorneys for both the plaintiff and Hastert have declined to provide any settlement details, including whether Hastert agreed to pay the man and, if so, how much. The case was set to go to trial last week.

After five years in court, Pilmer ruled earlier this month the real name of the man who accused Hastert of the sexual abuse, Doe, would become public at the start of the trial which was canceled after the settlement was agreed upon out of court.

Kristi Browne, lawyer for Hastert’s accuser, said Wednesday the judge’s decision to make her client’s name public at trial wasn’t a catalyst for his recent decision to settle.

“As a lawyer I was certainly looking forward to trying the case,” Browne said Wednesday. “But this resolution is a good resolution.”

Typically, a judge would file an order to dismiss once they receive signed settlement agreements, confidential or not, from all parties and the documents are to the court’s satisfaction.

John Ellis, Hastert’s lawyer, declined comment following the judge’s filed ruling on Wednesday.

Browne reiterated the end of the case doesn’t mean the trauma is over for Doe.

“That’s something those poor individuals deal with for rest of lives,” Browne said. “But at least my client was able to be heard by this court … and have this lawsuit resolved amicably.”

Case background

The case stems from an $3.5 million in hush money Hastert allegedly agreed to pay Doe in a confidentiality agreement. Doe, a former student and wrestler at Yorkville High School, accused the former Republican U.S. House speaker of sexually abusing him while Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at the school. Doe accused Hastert of only paying half.

Doe was suing Hastert for the remaining $1.8 million of the hush money, plus interest. Hastert allegedly paid Doe $1.7 million between 2010 and 2014, according to court documents.

Hastert also was countersuing Doe for the amount already paid, alleging that Doe violated their confidentiality agreement.

Hastert served as a U.S. congressman from 1987 to 2007 and was House speaker between 1999 and 2007, the longest term of any Republican to date.

Hastert previously served 13 months in federal prison for banking violations related to the hush money scheme and was released in 2017. The former speaker lives in Kendall County.