Land Deal Gives Hastert 300% Profit

What a crook!

Making money the old fashioned way…

I wonder if any news organization will follow this thru ,, or just back off because of the lack of will to bring the truth to light and keep it there until someone becomes accountable.

is there any line these corrupt politicians will not cross? unbelievable!

We constantly hear of our government officials doing, at the least, unethical things and possibly illegal. However, they continue to stay in office and take care of themselves. Why can they not be held accountable for their actions? We, the peons of the society” just sit back and do nothing, i.e. only about 25 percent of the registered population votes. Shame on all of us.

So, what else is new???

I love our rich politicians always making money. I think we should raise congress’s and the president and VP’s salary, make it tax free, then put a 75% tax on all other money they make. THAT would root out a little bit of the corruption (of course, not all of it).

Be hard to retire in Wisconsin when residing from a jail cell with a long stretch under appeal.Watch the MSM, Diebold, etal conspire to prevent a Democratic “tsunami punishment” election from happening this November which could result in quite a few of the Bush/Cheney/Rummy cabal holding hands in prison. We will have an easy double impeachment of Bush and Cheney which results in exactly nobody getting pardons in January of 2009. Any doubters out there?

Had Enough????

I will NEVER vote for a Republican again!!!

Hold it! I don’t consider land five miles away from a highway planned for the past 20 years as ‘near’!
I am curious how his trust decided to buy the land and sell, or if Hastert even had a say in the purchase. Usually, a trust fund manager is supposed to make money for their clients. At least Hastert had his money in a trust! the real question should be “was it a Blind Trust” managed soely by an independent and licensed agent?
If so, how can I invest with that agent?
God bless our troops!

Just waiting to hear from the republican defenders….of course, they’ll claim it’s just free enterprise and all the “liberals”, and “leftests”, and “hate America and its values” crowd are conspiring to ruin America and its leaders…god, if people don’t vote these folks out in November, we might as well hand in our copy of the Constitution and immigrate to Cuba…

A classic example of what happens when elected officials get too comfortable with their positions in Washington, D.C.. This is the same person who spoke out about the FBI raiding a congressional office building for evidence pertaining to possible illegal activity. I wonder if the FBI would hesitate to raid my personal office for evidence?

Just another fact of how the liberal media is sharing our nations secrets with our enemies! :p
Ya right………I at least hope there are consequences for this bafoon….

Let’s have another Boston Tea Party,this time throwing in POLITITIONS,i.e. (LAWYERS)

Will he donate the money to a needy charity?

I read this story and broke out laughing. I know the property he sold – this story is a bunch of hogwash. There is no connection between the parkway and this property.
1. The proposed parkway and the property are nowhere near each other.
2. Kendall County (where the property is located) is the third fastest growing county in the nation. Home builders are buying land like crazy there and prices are souring!! That started long before this bill was signed.
I agree that lawmakers find away to line their pockets with our money but this story is complete BS. Sorry folks.

A land trust is a common business practice; such a legal agreement is not shrouded in secrecy. Individuals who make real estate investments are savvy. Perhaps the Chicago Tribune and its staff reporters might consult one of the premier law schools in the Chicago area and exhaustively examine the law regarding land trusts. This is also a hint to the rest of the individuals who have taken to time to respond to Hastert’s financial investment. Examine the law before making assumptions.
For all of the negative comments from those individuals who find Hastert to be a crook, your words are hypocritcal because if members of the Democrat party in the State of Illinois made the identical financial investments in perahps Cook County or elsewhere, those voting on a Democratic ticket would not be opposed to such a financial dealing. The real issue is the envy of your members who continually demonstrate financial ignorance. Before making false accusations, thoroughly examine the legal merits of the issue.
The land which was purchased by Hastert along with his other partners is 5.5 miles from the proposed site of the Illinois Prairie Parkway. Kendall County is the 3rd fastest growing county in the United States. This land for residential home development is not in an area where the laws of Emminent Domain will have any effect. Irrespective of the proposed Prairie Parkway, the land value in Kendall County continues to appreciate, which makes this an attractive area for commercial and residential development. The discussion of the Prairie Parkway has been a topic of conversation for the past two decades in Kendall County. As land value continues to increase in Kendall County, those who have made prudent financial investments stand to benefit from their decisions.
So is this group of individuals who criticize Hastert prepared to criticize individuals who have purhased land (and a later point will sell this land) in the area where a proposed link for the METRA line to Oswego is planned?
Instead of being jealous of an individual’s legal financial gain, please take your envy and make smart financial decisions to benefit the future of you and your family.

Not a surprise.
I’ve worked for two commercial real estate developers. They are no better than Republican politicians.
They only care about profit — not people. They talk about how much they care about improving peoples lives, but they forget to tell you that they need to make an obscene profit off you FIRST.

Why is everyone here picking on him being a Republican? I guess Democrats are perfect little angels. The liberal media it at it again, single out the Republicans. And then, show Hastert in a photo with President Bush to suggest some wrong doing on the President’s part.

Sure am glad that only REPUBLICANS are corrupt, as most of those commenting seem to think. Yeah, he should be run out on a rail; however, since the voting public is stupid and allows the politicians to conitue doing this with no consequences, he will contiue to be out distinguished congressman from Chicago – I mean, Illinois.

Well, Sam J, if the shoe fits, President Bush can try to get it out of his mouth.
At least Hastert is smart enough to know that Americans are blind to his activities, unlike our President, who doesn’t know why reports wear sunglasses indoors.
Anne Coulter’s book should have been titled “Godless, the state of Republican Greed in the US Theocracy”. Democrats are perfect little angels, but the absolute lack of respect for the average American demonstrated by ‘Conservative Leadership’ sickens me.

These are the type of stories I would like to see on the news every day, its educationaland so needed in America.

The republicans are pipe dreaming if they think they’re going to hold on to the Senate, let alone the House, in November. Their party is full of scandal, from Cunningham, to Abramoff, and now to their very own speaker. Half of them might be jail before the elections even take place. What a disgusting display.

the republicans greed invented the great depression which led directly to ww2. so it only took us 70 years to forget what they did the last time they enjoyed the public trust. apparently the greed has not dissapated it’s just apologised for by a horde of media.
As former senator graham of texas said it’s not that the rich are greedy it’s that the poor are SO envious. i haven’t noticed him giving any of his enron money to the ex employees

Let’s ALL agree to send them all home! Republicans and Democrats both. Let ‘em play golf on public courses. Make ‘em fly coach. Just as we do. Let’s all participate in The Quiet Revolution.

Why aren’t people screaming about this little secret deal?????
You have all heard of NAFTA signed by Clinton. He gave away all of our Corporate trade.
Then Bush signs CAFTA and gives all northern and southern border neighbors access to our country at their will. Why isn’t the press all over this????
Are we supposed to give up our “good life” so the southern countries can give us their poverty…and we are all supposed to be one united and happy North America??? yea, right!
Not only giving them free access….but allowing Mexicans to come from Guatemala cross the border into the US (nonstop) and and go as far as central Canada if they want. Oh boy! Now they can smuggle NON-STOP from CHINA to CANADA! I understand Spain is helping to fund this 10 lane super hiway. My question is WHY? What does Spain get out of this deal? Or is Bush selling that too?
Let’s seeeee…dope by the cases, in false cans, bottles, anything hollow. They can smuggle people, weapons, helicopter parts, machine guns, warheads, rocket launchers and parts or whatever they want!!! The security will be no better than at Tiajuana…bet on it.
Why the heck are we worrying about IRAQ when our own government is inviting an INVASION of our own borders???? WE have Al-Queada sneaking in the US… just waiting for the chance… thank you Mr. Bush!!! (What a bluntering idiot!!! And to think I once respected him. Even voted for him).
When they dispose of the American dollar and the peso exactly whose economy will we have???
Our 200,000 American dollar homes (and for most of us the biggest investment we own) will soon be worth about 4 cases of burritos and a red and black blanket. If we are really lucky we might just get a Mexican hat as a bonus. We’ll need something to keep warm, you know, it gets really cold in the north….
Just makes me want to cry or sell my home, become a gypsy…and dump a WHOLE LOT OF TEA!

Do you real wonder at this? I mean, with all the examples there are out there, we can clearly see now who really runs this country. Mr Smith left washington a long time ago , and the only ones there now are there to seek their fortune at the public trough. The same happens at each state government as well..the way to gain influence is to run for office and then make nice with the guys you are supposed to regulate!

Things being what they are, someone please remind me, is this the “democracy” that we’re trying to bring to the Iraqi people at the cost of life itself?
Just another opportunity for elected officials to collect more and more for themselves while the average person on the streets has to struggle to put bread on their tables?
Is this the democracy and freedom we want to kill and die for to bring to Iraq?
Because it doesn’t look too very different from what Saddam was doing.

Sounds like a mighty big freezer.

TRY TO GET COMPLACENT AMERICANS TO BECOME INCENSED ABOUT AN ISSUE! THIS ADMINISTRATION IS THE MOST CORRUPT IN HISTORY, YET SOME CITIZENS STILL UPHOLD THEM. DID ANYONE SERIOUSLY BELIEVE CARL ROVE WOULD BE OUSTED AS THE RAT HE IS? AND LOOK AT TOM DELAY, AND THE MANY OTHERS WHO ARE RAPING THE U.S.CITIZENS – LOOK AT THE ILLEGAL ALIEN ISSUE – THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE IN OUR STREETS, CARRY THE MEXICAN FLAG ATOP AN UPSIDE DOWN AMERICAN FLAG AND NOTHING IS DONE TO STOP THEM. WHEN ARE THE AVERAGE U.S. CITIZENS GOING TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY??
LOOK AT THE MILLIONS REPUBLICANS SPENT TO IMPEACH BILL CLINTON WHO WAS IMMORAL IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE, YET BUSH HAS LIED TO OUR NATION, UPHOLDS HIS LAWBREAKING CRONIES, NOW WANTS TO GIVE AN EASY PATH TO CITIZENSHIP TO ILLEGAL ALIENS AND FUTHER UNDERMINE OUR ECONOMY BY IGNORING THE WISHES OF THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE AND LISTENING TO THE DEMANDS OF HIS BIG BUSINESS FRIENDS, AND VINCENTE FOX, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, WHO IS SENDING MILLIONS OF MEXICO’S POOR AND ALSO THEIR DRUG SMUGGLERS TO THE U.S. – AND “OUR” OWN PRESIDENT IS DOING ALL HE CAN TO HELP HIM!!!
I AM DOING ALL I CAN IN THE WAY OF EMAILING CONGRESS, BUSH, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPRESS MY VIEWS.
WHERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL STAND WITH ME TO INSIST THAT OUR ELECTED PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS LISTEN TO THE U.S. TAXPAYING CITIZEN???

Business as usual for republicans who prefer enriching themselves rather than their constitutents. Nothing will happen and he will keep the money, farm and his lucative federal pension with exceptional good health coverage.

Oh yeah, this is much worse than the Whitewater scandal when Hillary bilked TONS of families out of their entire life savings. Yeah, much worse. I’m sorry, who did Hastert take money from? See, because Hillary actually took money from families in a practice that is illegal in most States. Just curious who the victim is here. Yeah, much worse than Whitewater.
And hey Bob, the press conference you were referring to was not held indoors. It was outside. Let’s get the facts straight.

I’ve read all these posts…and the question is…what are you going to do about denny hastert? You can shrug your shoulders and say, ‘business as usual’, or ‘everybody does it’, or just ignore the whole thing and look the other way. Well, some of us can’t look the other way. Some of us are Republicans who feel betrayed by Mr. Hastert, who was elected to look after the interests of people living in his district, a district where the average family earns about $60,000 a year. He’s presided over one of the largest explosions of government spending since the end of World War 2, and if the deficit were to be paid off, each American would be on the hook for up to $100,000. That’s a college education for some young person, a retirement nest egg for someone else. He’s given himself a raise without asking the people who pay his salary if we thought it was justified. He’s taken money from lobbyists including Jack Abramoff, divesting himself of it only, and only when it became clear Abramoff was going to be indicted. He’s used his influence to neuter the House Ethics Committee so it’s a useless tool in the hands of honest representatives seeking to clean house and regain the public’s trust. Now you add a land deal which has reaped him a winfall which puts him even further out of touch with his constituents. And what does he do when he’s cornered? He blusters, he fulminates, he threatens a law suit, he blames his troubles on the media and Democrats, not on his own greed.
I agree with some here who claim that Democrats, when given the chance can be just as corrupt. But the point is that Republicans, who’ve always blamed Democrats for being big spenders have become the same, and corrupt ones, to boot. So, back to my original question..what are you going to do about Hastert? Give him a pass? Hope he retires in 2008? Allow him to slip under the radar? Or are we going to support his opponent, and he has oppostion. There’s a Democrat in the race, although he’s hard to see because the Democratic Party won’t support him, because they’re scared of Hastert’s wrath if he should survive. Well, this Republican doesn’t care. He’s supporting a Democrat. Will he be any better than Hastert? I don’t know. But in this climate of cynicism, rife with the presumption that most elected officials have something to hide, I don’t think we can do any worse.
John

Hastert is just one more scumbum politician. Makes no difference whether a Republican or Democrat, they think the taxpayer’s should provide them with office space that is totally immune from the criminal laws of Ameerica so they can plot and take bribes with total immunity from the laws.
It is time to prosecute these scumbags regardless of their political party.
This may be the first time in fifty (50) years I have voted Democrat I am so upset with the scumbag Republicans.

In my humble opinion, you guys might have time one day to look at and report on Senator Reid’s “land dealings” in his native Nevada so as not to be rightly accused of media “bias” yet again.

Nice working!Keep going.True-I am gaining more and more deals for my investors because of the increase in foreclosure’s. This is is good time for the investor-whether flipping or Buy and hold.