Justice Department Denies Hastert Corruption Probe as ABC Holds Its Ground

The US Justice Department took the rare step of publicly rejecting a report by ABC News that House Speaker Dennis Hastert, third in the constitutional line of succession after the president and vice president, was being investigated for corruption.

ABC News reported Wednesday evening that the FBI was examining Hastert's role in a broad influence-peddling network linked to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, including a letter Hastert sent three years ago urging the Interior Secretary to block a casino project that would have undercut tribes represented by Abramoff. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to fraud and is cooperating with investigators.

Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty issued a statement overnight calling the reports untrue, while Hastert's office demanded a full retraction. ABC declined to withdraw the story, citing law enforcement sources.

The episode unfolds alongside a separate FBI controversy involving Louisiana Democratic Representative William Jefferson, who is accused of accepting over $400,000 in bribes to steer African business contracts. Hastert had publicly criticized the FBI's raid on Jefferson's congressional office and called for seized materials to be returned.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.