Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has pleaded guilty in a hush-money case and faces up to six months in prison. Hastert was indicted earlier this year in connection to a sexual abuse scandal.

The guilty plea involves Hastert lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about agreeing to pay someone $3.5 million to hide his past misconduct. The past misconduct mainly involves sexual misbehavior in which he sexually abused a student when he was a wrestling coach and teacher at Yorkville High School.

Add one more notch to Republican corruption and criminality.

For more on this story, visit the Huffington PostDennis Hastert Pleads Guilty In Hush-Money Case”

Farron Cousins is the executive editor of The Trial Lawyer magazine and a contributing writer at DeSmogBlog.com. He is the co-host / guest host for Ring of Fire Radio. His writings have appeared on Alternet, Truthout, and The Huffington Post. Farron received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of West Florida in 2005 and became a member of American MENSA in 2009. Follow him on Twitter @farronbalanced