Lawmaker calls for Illinois to revoke Hastert's pension
By Associated Press
Apr 29, 2016 8:29 AM CDT
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert departs the federal courthouse Wednesday, April 27, 2016, in Chicago, after his sentencing on federal banking charges which he pled guilty to last year. Hastert was sentenced to more than a year in prison in the hush-money case that included accusations he sexually...   (Associated Press)

CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois state senator is urging the state to strip Dennis Hastert of the taxpayer-funded pension he receives from when he was state legislator.

The former U.S. House Speaker was sentenced to 15 months in prison Wednesday in a hush-money case that revealed accusations he sexually abused teenagers while coaching high school wrestling in Yorkville, Illinois.

State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant sent a letter Thursday to the General Assembly Retirement System calling Hastert a "predator who harmed the lives of innocent students" and urging it to immediately revoke his $28,000-a-year pension.

But Tim Blair, who oversees the system, tells The (Aurora) Beacon-News that Hastert won't lose the pension because his crimes are unrelated to his time as a legislator.

Hastert's $16,000 teacher's pension has been canceled. He receives a federal pension.