DENNIS HASERT CASE.
>> THANK YOU.
LATER THIS MONTH, A FEDERAL
JUDGE WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF
FORMER U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS
HASERT.
DENNIS HASERT HAS PLEADED GUILTY
TO HUSH MONEY CHARGES CONNECTED
TO A FORMER YORKVILLE HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT WHO ALLEGEDLY WAS
SEXUALLY ABUSED DECADES AGO BY
HASTERT WHEN HE WAS A WRESTLING
COACH AT THE SCHOOL.
THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE" REPORTED
THAT A NUMBER OF FORMER STUDENTS
WERE ALLEGEDLY SEXUALLY ABUSED
BY HASTERT.
AND IN A BOMBSHELL FEDERAL
FILING PROSECUTORS CALLED THEIR
STORIES OF ABUSE CREDIBLE.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THIS
STORY IS CHRISTY GUTOWSKI A
REPORTER FOR THE "CHICAGO
TRIBUNE" AND PART OF A TEAM AND
HAS BEEN ABLE TO TRACK DOWN
THREE OF THE FIVE ALLEGED
VICTIMS.
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
IF THERE IS A METHODOLOGY TO
THIS AND IT IS A DIFFICULT STORY
TO REPORT OUT, HOW DID YOU FIND
THEM?
>> AS YOU KNOW, FROM DECADES IN
REPORTING, YOU CAN EITHER HAVE A
SOURCE WHO TELLS YOU, HAVE
LEAKED DOCUMENTS OR BOOTS TO THE
GROUND KNOCKING ON DOORS CALLING
PEOPLE.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN A FEDERAL
COURTS REPORTER SO I HAD NO
SOURCES TO LEAK ANYTHING TO ME.
THERE WERE NO DOCUMENTS TO LEAK
BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS UNDER
SEAL TO PROTECT THE VICTIMS.
SO THERE WERE NO LEAKED
DOCUMENTS.
IT WAS REALLY JUST GOING THROUGH
OLD YEARBOOKS WITH THE TEAM OF
TRIBUNE REPORTERS AND PUTTING
TOGETHER ROSTERS OF THE
WRESTLERS AND TRYING TO FIND
THEM.
>> AND WHEN YOU DID, DO THAT,
THEN THAT BOOTS TO THE GROUND
PART WHERE YOU GO TO KNOCK ON A
DOOR OR SAY TO A PERSON I AM A
REPORTER, AND I WANT TO KNOW
ABOUT SEX ABUSE.
HOW MANY SLAMMED DOORS DID YOU
GET BEFORE YOU GOT AN OPEN ONE?
>> IT WAS A HEARTBREAKING STORY.
MY BACKGROUND IS WORKING WITH
SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE CRIMES
COURTS FOR YEARS.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF BACKGROUND
WORKING WITH SURVIVORS OF CRIME.
AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING
TO THEM.
SO WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE
OLD YEARBOOKS FROM THE 60s AND
70s, YOU GET TO MEMORIZE THE
FACES AND BECOME CURIOUS WHAT
HAPPENED TO THESE PEOPLE IN
LIFE.
AND I REMEMBER MY HIGH SCHOOL
YEARBOOK AND ALL THE DREAMS AND
ASPIRATIONS YOU HAD AND I
WONDERED IT BECAME PERSONAL TO
ME.
I WANTED TO KNOW WERE THEY
HIDING A SECRET?
WERE THEY HARMED?
DID THEY GO AND ASK FOR HELP?
AND NO ONE BELIEVED THEM?
IT BECAME IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO
THE TRIBUNE TO FIND THEM.
AS YOU CAN WELL IMAGINE THESE
WERE MIDDLE-AGED PEOPLE WHO WENT
ON AND MANY THIS WAS THEIR HERO
AND DID NOT BELIEVE IT AND THOSE
WHO DID BELIEVE IT BECAUSE THEIR
OWN KNOWLEDGE WERE NOT THRILLED
ABOUT TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> WHEN THE FEDS FIRST INDICTED
DENNIS HASERT, IT WAS VERY
CAREFULLY WRITTEN INDICTMENT IN
WHICH THEY TALKED ABOUT HIS PAST
MISCONDUCT FOR WHICH HE WAS
STRUCTURING FINANCES BANK
WITHDRAWALS TO PAY HUSH MONEY
AND IT WAS A MALE STUDENT WHO
HAD KNOWN HIM ALL OF HIS LIFE
ALMOST.
AND SO YOU HAD TO PULL OUT OF
THERE AND DEDUCE HERE IS THIS
ONE STUDENT.
YOU NOW KNOW AND FIGURED OUT
THERE WERE FIVE STUDENTS?
>> THE INDICTMENT I READ IT OVER
AND OVER AND OVER TRYING TO GET
CLUES FROM IT AND IT WAS SO
CAREFULLY WORDED AND IT DID NOT
SAY IT WAS A STUDENT.
IT GAVE A BIOGRAPHY ABOUT Mr.
HASTERT THAT HE TAUGHT CIVICS
AND WAS A WRESTLING COACH IN
65-80 AND SAID INDIVIDUAL A IS A
PERSON DID NOT GIVE THEIR
GENDER, WHO KNEW Mr. HASTERT
MOST OF HIS LIFE MOST OF IS WHAT
I BECAME FOCUSED ON.
AND WHAT BROTHERED ME I AM NOT A
HUGE POLITICAL PERSON BUT I KNEW
THIS MAN HE WAS LONGEST REIGNING
SPEAKER REPUBLICAN SPEAKER IN
OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY AND HE IS
DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY PERSONAL
LIBERTIES AND YOUR PERSONAL
LIBERTIES AND THE PUBLIC'S
PERSONAL LIBERTIES.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW THE TRIBUNE
WANTED TO GET TO THE TRUTH OF
WHAT HAPPENED.
SO YOU KNOW, REALLY IT WAS JUST
A NEEDLE IN A HAY STACK.
>> YOU FOUND INDIVIDUAL A.
>> WE DID.
SO WHAT I DID AND WHAT SOME OF
MY COLLEAGUES DID, JEFF COHEN,
WE WENT THROUGH THE ROSTERS AND
WE CALLED AND KNOCKED ON THE
DOOR OF MANY OF THEM AND I FELL
IN YORK A GREAT TOWN MANY HOMES
ARE CONVERTED CHURCHES.
AND ON FARMS AND IT'S DIFFERENT
FROM MY BACKGROUND.
AND WE DEVELOPED SOME KEY NAMES
OF PEOPLE WE FOCUSED ON AND TOOK
THE REPORTING THROUGHOUT AS LONG
AS WE COULD.
RUMORS, SPECULATION, PEOPLE THAT
WERE CONNECTED TO HASTERT BUT WE
TOOK IT AS FAR AS WE COULD.
AND I REACH YOU HAD OUT TO --
REACHED OUT TO ALMOST 100
WRESTLERS AND KEPT GOING BACK
AND BACK.
AND SOME STARTED TRUSTING US.
AND ONE VICTIM CAME FORWARD IN
OCTOBER.
HE STILL IS NOT WILLING TO TELL
HIS STORY PUBLICLY.
WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED HIM.
BUT AROUND CHRISTMAS I WAS
WORKING ON LAQUAN McDONALD'S
STORY LIKE THE REST OF CHICAGO
INCLUDING YOU, AND SOMEONE SAID
YOU KNOW ONE OF THE WRESTLERS
YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THIS
PERSON AND IT WAS RUMOR.
SO I STARTED SCRUBBING HIM AND
SURE ENOUGH I PUT TOGETHER 21
POINTS WHY I THOUGHT THIS WAS
INDIVIDUAL A AND WENT TO JEFF
WHO COVERED FAMILY SECRETS AND
MURDERS AND WHAT TOOK ME EIGHT
MONTHS HE COULD GET CONFIRMED IN
LESS THAN A DAY.
>> AND YOU LAID THE GROUND WORK
TO HELP WITH THAT.
>> I THINK IT HELPED WITH THE
NAME.
>> DO THE BRICK WORK FIRST.
SO INDIVIDUAL A, INDIVIDUAL YOU
FIGURED OUT WHO INDIVIDUAL A AND
D ARE IS THAT CORRECT?
>> RIGHT.
AND STEVEN RHINE BOLT'S DIED IN
1995 OF AIDS AND WE THINK HE IS
THE FIRST VICTIM.
AND HIS SISTER HAS SPOKEN OUT
PUBLICLY SINCE LAST SUMMER.
>> BECAUSE SHE CONFRONTED DENNIS
HASERT AT HER BROTHER'S WAKE.
ALL OF THESE, FOR ALL OF THESE
MEN HAVE THEY --
DO THEY STILL WEAR THE SCARS?
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT A
COMMONALITY THAT YOU SEE IN
THEM?
>> COLLEGE EDUCATED.
DENNIS HASERT KNEW THEIR
FAMILIES WELL.
THEIR PARENTS TRUSTED HIM.
THEY SOME OF THEM STAYED CLOSE
AND OTHERS HAVE GONE FAR.
SUCCESSFUL.
SOME OF THEM ALL OF THEM HAVE
HAD PERSONAL STRUGGLES.
AND YOU KNOW IT'S INTERESTING
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO STILL
DON'T BELIEVE THIS.
AND THESE VICTIMS, I THINK THEY
ARE GROWING IN STRENGTH AND
NUMBERS.
BUT THEY ARE AWARE OF THAT.
I TALKED TO ONE MEMBER OF THE 76
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM WHO TOLD
ME I DO NOT CARE IF HE DID DO
IT.
HE IS MY COACH.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE MY MIND.
THEY HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH
THIS.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLES
AND I CANNOT SAY IF IT'S BECAUSE
OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AS A
CHILD BUT YOU HAVE TO THINK IT
HAD EFFECT.
>> INDIVIDUAL A HAD MANY
FINANCIAL REVERSALS.
HAD SOME ANXIETY STRUGGLES.
AND HASTERT WHEN THE FEDS SAW
SOMETHING STRANGE GOING ON IN
HIS BANKING, HASTERT TOLD THEM
WELL HE WAS BEING EXTORTED BY
INDIVIDUAL A.
THE AMAZING THING IS THE F.B.I.
WIRETAPPING THEIR CONVERSATIONS
FOUND QUITE THE OPPOSITE, DIDN'T
THEY?
>> AND PEOPLE HAVE STRONG
OPINIONS ABOUT WHETHER
INDIVIDUAL A IS AN EXTORTIONIST
OR NOT.
AND THAT WAS WHAT Mr. HASTERT
TOLD THE FEDS WHEN THEY
CONFRONTED HIM SO THEY
TAPE-RECORDED TWO CONVERSATIONS
IN MARCH OF 2015 AND BOTH
ACCORDING TO THE DOCUMENT THAT
THE FEDS RELEASED FRIDAY, 8:00
P.M., INDIVIDUAL A WAS PASSIVE
AND NEVER ANGRY WHEN Mr.
HASTERT SAID HE COULD NOT GET
MORE MONEY.
AND SAID ALL I ALONG I WANTED TO
GO TO YOUR LAWYERS AND STRUCTURE
THIS IN A WAY THAT WAS
ABOVEBOARD.
SO THAT IS WHY --
>> AND HASTERT ALLEGEDLY SAID
NO.
>> RIGHT.
HE WANTED TO KEEP IT SECRET.
AND ACCORDING TO THE FEDS THAT
IS BECAUSE HE KNEW JOL LEAN WAS
OUT THERE.
>> THE SISTER OF STEVEN WHO DIED
OF AIDS AND WAS THE FIRST IN
THIS LINE OF YOUNG MEAN.
IN THE GOVERNMENT'S FILING THEY
TALK ABOUT NO ONE IS WITH ABOVE
THE LAW NOT DENNIS HASERT, NOT
ANYONE.
AND, YET, IN THOMAS DURKIN'S
FEDERAL COURTROOM REPORTERS HAVE
NOT KNOWN OF SEVERAL OF THE
HEARINGS THAT WERE GOING ON.
THEY SEEMED TO BE SLIPPED UNDER
THE RADAR.
WHY IS THAT?
>> SO IT TOOK 300 DAYS SINCE THE
INDICTMENT WAS UNSEALED THAT THE
WORDS SEXUAL ABUSE WERE UTTERED
IN OPEN COURT AND ON PUBLIC
RECORD ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MOTIVATED THE TRIBUNE TO PURSUE
THE STORY.
DURING THE 300 DAYS THERE WERE
TWO COURT HEARINGS THAT WERE NOT
REPORTERS WERE IN THE COURTHOUSE
AND THEY KNOW WHEN THINGS ARE
UP.
AND TWO WERE CALLED WITHOUT ANY
SORT OF PUBLIC NOTICE.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT JUDGE
DURKIN GIVEN THE DIFFICULTIES OF
THIS CASE HAS DONE HIS BEST TO
TRY TO KEEP THINGS PUBLIC.
WHAT HAPPENED ON ONE OF THE
INSTANCES WAS HE WAS ON TRIAL
AND THE LAWYERS CAME IN
LAST-MINUTE WITH SOMETHING THAT
THEY WANTED TO GET ON THE RECORD
SO HE DID HIS LUNCH, DID IT ON
HIS LUNCH-HOUR AND WE GOT
TRANSCRIPTS LATER.
IT GOES TO SHOW YOU IN THIS
CASE, IF OUR FEDERAL COURT
REPORTER DID NOT HEAR ABOUT IT
FROM ONE OF HIS PROBABLY
SOMEBODY IN THE COURTHOUSE, WE
WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT.
IT'S UPSETTING.
>> IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU ARE
STILL REPORTING THIS STORY?
>> RIGHT.
>> AND THE HEARING WE MAY HEAR
FROM INDIVIDUAL D THE IRONY IS
THAT HE CAME FORWARD TO
PROSECUTORS AFTER HASTERT'S TEAM
ASKED HIS FAMILY TO WRITE A
LETTER OF AFFIRMATION AND
RECOMMENDATION.
>> KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS A TOWN
THAT HAS GROWN BY LEAPS AND
BOUNDS SINCE THE 60s AND
70s.
AND EVERYBODY KNEW EVERYONE.
IT WAS LIKE 1500 PEOPLE BACK IN
THE DAY.
HE KNOWS THEIR FAMILIES.
AND WE'VE HEARD BECAUSE OF THE
DIFFICULTY HE HAS HAD MEDICALLY
HE LOST SOME OF HIS MEMORY AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT IS WHAT THE DEFENSE HAS
SAID BUT WE ARE TOLD HE DID
REACH OUT TO A MEMBER OF D'S
FAMILY AND D HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON
THE FENCE.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC UPSIDE.
SOME MUCH COMES UPSIDE-DOWN WHEN
YOU COME AGAINST ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL MEN IN OUR COUNTRY'S
HISTORY.
BUT HE IS GOING TO TELL HIS
STORY.
AND HE IS SCARED BUT HE IS GOING
TO DO IT.
>> CHRISTY GUTOWSKI, IT'S AN
AMAZING STORY.
AND I KNOW THE LEGWORK ON IT HAS
BEEN ENORMOUS.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND TALKING
ABOUT THAT.