Pandemic prompts yet another delay in Dennis Hastert civil trial

YORKVILLE - The February trial for the $1.8 million breach-of-contract case between former U.S. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and a man known as James Doe has been delayed yet again by a Kendall County judge due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kendall County Chief Judge Robert Pilmer postponed the jury setting date to Wednesday, Sept. 15, with a trial set to begin a week later on Monday, Sept. 20. While Pilmer had originally scheduled the trial for Feb. 22, the 23rd Circuit Court earlier this week paused jury trials through March 1 out of concern for the continued impact of the pandemic.

While this is the third time the public health crisis has delayed proceedings in the case, Pilmer stressed that the court had “several criminal matters” it needed to address in the spring.

“This is an older case and I do want to get it addressed promptly,” Pilmer said in a hearing Friday, Jan. 8.

The case stems from an alleged $3.5 million in hush money Hastert agreed to pay Doe in a confidentiality agreement. Doe, a former wrestler at Yorkville High School, has accused the former Republican Speaker of the House of sexually abusing him while Hastert was a teacher and wresting coach at the school.

Hastert served as a U.S. Congressman from 1987 to 2007 and held the speakership between 1999 and 2007 - the longest term of any Republican to date.

Doe is suing Hastert for the remaining $1.8 million of the hush money plus interest. Hastert is also countersuing Doe for the amount already paid, alleging that Doe violated their confidentiality agreement. The civil case has been in court since April 2016.

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 currently lives in Sandwich.

While Pilmer initially floated a July trial date at Friday’s hearing, lawyers for both Hastert and Doe requested a later date over scheduling issues.

Pilmer also granted John Ellis, Hastert’s lawyer, until the end of July to complete two remaining evidence depositions.

Ellis, Pilmer and Kristi Browne, Doe’s lawyer, will reconvene in June to discuss jury selection for the case.

“I think it is important, given the perhaps notoriety of the case, that we may be calling in more jurors to selection,” Pilmer said. “We need to firm that up so we can handle it in a timely manner.”

Browne and Ellis concurred that jury selection for the case could be completed within five days.