Patriot Act That Dennis Hastert Passed Led To His Indictment LOLOL

[Dianne]

You gotta love it !!!

On Oct. 24, 2001, then-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) shepherded the Patriot Act through the House of Representatives. It passed 357 to 66, advancing to the Senate and then-President George W. Bush’s desk for signing.

Hastert took credit for House passage in a 2011 interview, claiming it “wasn’t popular, and there was a lot of fight in the Congress” over it.

Little did Hastert know at the time that the law he helped pass would give federal law enforcement the tools to indict him on charges of violating banking-related reporting requirements more than a decade later.

The Department of Justice on Thursday announced Hastert's indictment for agreeing to pay $3.5 million in hush money to keep someone quiet about his “prior misconduct.” The indictment accuses Hastert of structuring bank withdrawals to avoid bank reporting requirements, and lying to the FBI about the nature of the withdrawals. It does not reveal the “misconduct” that Hastert was trying to conceal. The recipient of the money was a resident of Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert taught high school and coached wrestling from 1965 to 1981.

The indictment suggests that law enforcement officials relied on the Patriot Act’s expansion of bank reporting requirements to snare Hastert. As the IRS notes, “the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 increased the scope” of cash reporting laws “to help trace funds used for terrorism.” The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, which was amended by the Patriot Act, had already required banks to report suspicious transactions.

The banks that Hastert frequented, the indictment states, were required to “prepare and file with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network a Currency Transaction Report (Form 104) for any transaction or series of transactions involving currency of more than $10,000.” From 2010 to 2012, Hastert made 15 withdrawals of $50,000 from multiple bank accounts in order to make the hush money payments, according to the indictment. One or more of the banks flagged the transactions as suspicious. In April 2012, “pursuant to bank policy and federal regulations,” bank representatives questioned Hastert about the transactions, according to the indictment.

After that, according to the indictment, Hastert began withdrawing cash in increments smaller than $10,000 to avoid detection. When the FBI questioned Hastert about the purpose of the withdrawals, the indictment alleges, Hastert lied and told them he was keeping the cash for himself.

If the Patriot Act is ultimately Hastert's undoing, it will not be the first time the law has been used to prosecute a politician’s criminal activity. In 2008, Newsweek reported that the Patriot Act’s expanded banking disclosure requirements put the FBI on the trail of former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer (D). Investigators identified payments made in connection with Spitzer’s solicitation of prostitutes.

[donnay]

Poetic justice.

[Valli6]

Posting this (separately from other hastert post) because I find the use of the Patriot Act much more significant than Hastert or anything he’s done. This discussion is about how the government mis-uses the Patriot act to ensnare non-terrorists over things that were never a crime until the Patriot Act, and/or with evidence that would have been legally unobtainable prior to the Patriot act. Also - the timing of the indictment.

Whatever Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is or isn’t guilty of, it’s the “structured withdrawals” he’s being indicted for. To pay off a blackmailer, Hastert made “15 withdrawals of $50,000 cash from several banks” in 2010. After being questioned by bank officials in 2012, he began withdrawing cash in increments under $10,000. In 2013, he told investigators he did it because he didn’t “trust the banking industry” and that he kept the money for himself - so there’s also a charge of making false statements.

How about the timing? Was there a sudden decision to indict him now because they are afraid that if the Patriot Act expires in a few days, they will have no case?


...According to the indictment, in 2010, Hastert met multiple times with a person he knew from his hometown of Yorkville, Ill.

The indictment does not name the individual nor does it provide gender or age details. It merely states that the individual has known Hastert for most of their life. Hastert worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkville from 1965 to 1981.

Hastert and the unnamed individual “discussed past misconduct” that had occurred years before, the indictment reads.

During the meetings, Hastert agreed to pay the individual $3.5 million. Between 2010 and 2014, Hastert shelled out $1.7 million.

Beginning in June 2010, Hastert made 15 withdrawals of $50,000 cash from several banks.

But in April 2012, bank officials questioned Hastert about the sizable withdrawals. Federal law requires financial institutions to report withdrawals of $10,000 or greater and to report any suspicious activity.

After the inquiry, Hastert began withdrawing cash in increments less than $10,000.

The activity drew the attention of the FBI and IRS, which in 2013 opened an investigation into whether Hastert was “structuring” the withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements.

According to the indictment, Hastert lied to federal investigators about the purpose of the cash withdrawals. He initially said he withdrew the cash because he did not trust the banking system. He also allegedly lied when he said that he kept the cash himself rather than pay it out as apparent hush money.

“Yeah…I kept the cash. That’s what I’m doing,” he told investigators.

Hastert was charged with two accounts — one for structuring currency transactions to evade currency transaction reports and another for making a false statement to the FBI.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/28/former-house-speaker-dennis-hastert-indicted-for-lying-to-fbi-about-3-5-million-hush-money-scheme/

Old Hastert threads to refresh memories - http://www.ronpaulforums.com/search.php?searchid=15562491

Here’s the government’s definition of structuring, for anyone who's interested.
https://www.ffiec.gov/bsa_aml_infobase/pages_manual/OLM_107.htm

(Mods, merge with gloat-threads if you feel it's appropriate)

[dannno]

It's illegal to give people a lot of money?

[wizardwatson]

It's illegal to give people a lot of money?

You have to declare transactions over a certain amount. If you go to the bank and try to withdraw more than 10,000 in cash I believe you have to fill out a form.

[jj-]

See, the point of the Patriot Act was to raise more income taxes.

Opponents should make that clear to Republican audiences, who supposedly don't want taxes.

[jllundqu]

The recipient of the money was a resident of Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert taught high school and coached wrestling from 1965 to 1981.


Told ya.... little boy fetish. Pay up.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

You have to declare transactions over a certain amount. If you go to the bank and try to withdraw more than 10,000 in cash I believe you have to fill out a form.

But if you withdraw around $9,000 two times in a short period then you get charged with trying to bypass the 10,000 requirement anyway

[Dianne]

I'm so happy to see the political elite victimized by their own dirty little laws.

[acptulsa]

I'm so happy to see the political elite victimized by their own dirty little laws.

Me, too. But the fact that this is getting reported now is no accident.

There will be people who figure anything that causes that bastard Hastert stress is a good thing. And not completely without reason. But this does not make the PATRIOT Act a good thing.

[Brian4Liberty]

Told ya.... little boy fetish. Pay up.

That is the implication.

What else could be assumed? That more than one person (or group) had blackmail leverage on Hastert

[enhanced_deficit]

And this guy:

All-white jury convicts Jeffrey Sterling, sent to prison for 42 months (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?474883-All-white-jury-convicts-Jeffrey-Sterling-sent-to-prison-for-42-months&)

[Created4]

How is "structuring" part of the Patriot Act? I thought it was an IRS code, designed to snag drug dealers? Same thing they got Kent Hovind on.....

[Anti Federalist]

Hahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahah...

Someone please post the "Never Talk to Police" video here.

[Anti Federalist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

[enhanced_deficit]

irony

[juleswin]

Another domestic terrorist caught by the Patriot act. Another 100 American lives saved yay!!!

[cajuncocoa]

Karma, bitch!

[Valli6]

How is "structuring" part of the Patriot Act? I thought it was an IRS code, designed to snag drug dealers? Same thing they got Kent Hovind on.....
I thought it was only since the patriot act, that banks have to report it to the government whenever you withdraw $10,000 or more. If you do it repeatedly, they assume you're doing somethin suspicious - like funding terrorists. If I recall correctly, this is how Elliot Spitzer got caught going to hookers (expensive hookers).
….
Ah. I see it's mentioned in the other thread.

"The indictment suggests that law enforcement officials relied on the Patriot Act’s expansion of bank reporting requirements to snare Hastert. As the IRS notes, “the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 increased the scope” of cash reporting laws “to help trace funds used for terrorism.” The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, which was amended by the Patriot Act, had already required banks to report suspicious transactions."
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?475648-Patriot-Act-That-Dennis-Hastert-Passed-Led-To-His-Indictment-LOLOL

So I have to wonder… Did they suddenly decide to indict him right now, because the patriot act may expire in a few days? If they didn't indict him before it expired - would that ruin their case - since their evidence would no longer have been legally collected? AND might this be an indication that the Feds really are expecting the Patriot Act will be allowed to expire?

[ghengis86]

That is the implication.

What else could be assumed? That more than one person (or group) had blackmail leverage on Hastert

This. He didn't play ball somewhere along the line and now he's suffering the consequences. Also, you don't reach positions of power without the puppet masters having leverage.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

despite what he needs the money for it is insane that making large withdrawals or deposits automatically makes you a suspect nowadays.

[enhanced_deficit]

Karma, bitch!

While I do not intend to offend gods of karma, fallout from the karma situation is getting bit out of hand.

Ongoing Surge of Police State in America a Surge of Karma (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?444261-Is-the-ongoing-Surge-of-Police-State-in-America-a-Surge-of-Karma&)

[tsai3904]

718656246400880641
718657408197902337

[angelatc]

You have to declare transactions over a certain amount. If you go to the bank and try to withdraw more than 10,000 in cash I believe you have to fill out a form.

The bank fills it out, not you. Also for deposits.

[angelatc]

despite what he needs the money for it is insane that making large withdrawals or deposits automatically makes you a suspect nowadays.

This times 1000. But the banking law that requires reporting cash transactions over $10,000 predates the Patriot Act. It was part of a Clinton-era reform as part of the War on Drugs.

[timosman]

'Freedom' coming for former House Speaker Hastert - http://abc7chicago.com/news/freedom-coming-for-former-house-speaker-hastert/2227635/

[donnay]

I hope he is too sick to molest any other child. :mad:

[enhanced_deficit]

Yesterday Stormy's attorney was asking if payments were structured over multiple months:


https://youtu.be/Uh3TZMoN7OU?t=468


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh3TZMoN7OU