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!

this is wrong, BUT!

it is not at all a party exclusive thing.

here in beckley WV, about 20 years ago when our I-64 made it in here, our PLO loving' friend of yaser arafat congressman nick rahall purposely steered I-64 through some of his own land as well.

look at how its coing out how our congressman to the north alan mollohan is making millions from his "non-profit" organizations. he recently steped down from the ethics committee.

warning: the "culture of corruption" slogan will not win the house back. youll have to do better than that.

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...

Remember what Bob LaFolette said and vote for what you want even if you don't expect to get it because if you vote for what you don't want, you probably will get it. And without any warning.

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?

I say we need a whole new Congress! I bet you this guy will get away with it like Carl Rove did in outing a CIA agent. This the danger of having one party control all branches of government. Their is no more accountability and it is do anything you want at the expense of the country.

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....

I agree with Ron. We can whine all we want but until people get out and vote for a change, we will keep getting the same results. This is the most crooked administration in my life time and they are doing it and getting away with it with big smiles on their faces. Shame on them and shame on us for putting up with it.

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

Wisconsin!!??!!??!!

We don't want Hastert in Wisconsin. Send him back to Illinois!

Will he donate the money to a needy charity?

This is just too much to let stand. "I had to ramrod this legislation through so I could make a fortune on a secret land deal so that I could buy a retirement plantation that most of my constituents can only dream of." I have news for you Mr. Speaker, by your actions you do not and will not ever speak for me. Your true 'constituents' are in federal prisons, where you, we hope, will so be. You are a disgrace to the office. You never heard of conflict of interest? So you don't have 100G stashed in your freezer, (like your pal),you're worse; you went out and spent that wrongfully gained money on a spread that most Americans will never even see, let alone own. Resign. I doubt you will since your obviously don't know how to 'do the right thing.' TO THE REST OF CONGRESS: KEEP YOUR NOSES CLEAN- WE'VE HAD IT WITH COMMON CRIMINALS DRESSED UP IN SUITS PRETENDING TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVES. COME ELECTION TIME, LET'S VOTE THEM ALL OUT! A BRAND NEW BATCH CAN'T BE ANY WORSE AND THEY JUST MIGHT BE BETTER!

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.

Mr. Hastert had better run, not walk from the buffet table. He is beyond corpulent and into really dangerously obese. He can't keep this up. Every time I see him, he looks as though he has gained 25 pounds. How will he enjoy the fruits of his "labor" if he doesn't begin to take care of himself.

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.

Now let's see, the republicans spent over $300 million to investigate Whitewater and came up with an act of oral sex.
Yet, with at least enough "smoke" on a questionable land deal with the 3rd repuke in line to the presidency, let's see if any investigation goes forward to see if there is any "fire" here.
Don't hold your breath. This is just "biznus" as usual for the corrupt republican mind set of today.

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.

I am a hard working citizen, but look at what happen to me the other day. I had to spend 50 days in jail, paid a fine of $1700 dollars and I am doing 300 hours of community service, and to top it all of I lost my job and had to pay court cost. Why because my two year old son threw trash out the window and texas cop just happen to be there. Do you think is fair that the hard working citizens are always getting screwed why the rich fat cats are stealing.
Life is not fair.

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.

REPUBLICAN -- DEMOCRAT

They all suck ,, we need a new party ,, The Revolutionary Party,, we do need a revolution, this country is out of control, we are becomming the dictatorship we have been fighting to rid the earth of, according to BUSH.

REPUBLICAN's CONTROL EVERYTHING as of NOW, They are responsible for the Bleek Future our kids get stuck with ,, most countries hate usa now, most have no respect for us, pretty soon we will be so far in debt will will have to continue to rob and pilage other countries to fill the coffers.

A Revolution is coming
when is the question