CHUTZPAH

Hastert Asked Victim’s Brother for Help

Sibling of “Individual D” a powerful politician.

The witness in a hush-money case against Dennis Hastert known as “Individual D” identified himself in court Wednesday to offer testimony against the House Speaker during his sentencing. Scott Cross, now a 53-year-old banking executive, revealed that when he was a high-school senior wrestler in 1979, Hastert sexually abused him. “I trusted him, I believed him, and took him at his word,” Cross said before recalling how the GOP legislator told him to turn over on his back before molesting him. The alleged victim reportedly trembled and choked up as he delivered his statement. Cross’s brother is former Illinois state legislator Tom Cross, a political ally of Hastert’s and a longtime powerhouse in state politics. After the witness left the stand, a Hastert attorney revealed that someone from his office called to ask Tom Cross for a letter of support, perhaps influencing Scott’s decision to testify.