Hill staff craves direction from Trump White House

Republican congressional aides charged with speaking for their bosses are hopeful that President Trump ‘s new communications director will help keep the Hill better informed about White House policy decisions, after a month of what many described as an almost total lack of coordination. After catching Republican lawmakers off guard with a controversial weekend immigration order that has since been struck down by a panel of federal judges, the Trump administration is trying to give key lawmakers a heads up about executive orders now, the press secretary said.

Dennis Hastert seeks repayment of $1.7 million from sex abuse accuser

Imprisoned former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has asked a judge not only to reject a sexual abuse victim’s breach-of-contract lawsuit, but to make the man repay $1.7 million in secret hush-money payments. In response to the lawsuit and in his counterclaim, made public Thursday and signed by Hastert, he denied the oral pact is akin to a valid and enforceable contract and, if so, it would be the plaintiff who breached it when he broke his silence and spoke to federal authorities.

Hastert wants accuser to repay $1.7M

Imprisoned former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has asked a Kendall County, Ill., judge to not only reject a sexual-abuse victim’s breach-of-contract lawsuit but also make the man pay back $1.7 million in secret hush-money payments. In response to the lawsuit and in his counterclaim, made public Thursday and signed by Hastert, he denied that the oral pact is akin to a valid and enforceable contract and, if so, it would be the plaintiff who breached it when he broke his silence and spoke to federal authorities.

Dennis Hastert

A 47-year-old man has been killed by crocodile while trying to cross a flooded river in northern Australian wildern FILE – In this Oct. 28, 2015 file photo, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the federal courthouse in Chicago. The 73-year-old Hastert pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to a felony count of evading bank reporting laws in a hush-money scheme.