--- title: Dennis Hastert: Mysterious C-SPAN Call to Hints at Future Scandal description: A C-SPAN caller's mysterious question to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert last year has taken on a new meaning in light of recent allegations that Hastert illegally paid $3.5 million in hush money to an unidentified Yorkville resident. canonical: https://time.com/3901774/dennis-hastert-c-span/ author: Dan Kedmey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-29T18:40:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:16.803Z article:section: Politics og:title: Dennis Hastert: Mysterious C-SPAN Call to Hints at Future Scandal og:description: A C-SPAN caller's mysterious question to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert last year has taken on a new meaning in light of recent allegations that Hastert illegally paid $3.5 million in hush money to an unidentified Yorkville resident. og:url: https://time.com/3901774/dennis-hastert-c-span/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd788d5c40fd6c9b/69885237e20a87844fa8b97d/ap080305036370.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2400 og:image:height: 1350 og:image:alt: Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Dennis Hastert: Mysterious C-SPAN Call to Hints at Future Scandal twitter:description: A C-SPAN caller's mysterious question to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert last year has taken on a new meaning in light of recent allegations that Hastert illegally paid $3.5 million in hush money to an unidentified Yorkville resident. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdd788d5c40fd6c9b/69885237e20a87844fa8b97d/ap080305036370.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Does This Mysterious C-SPAN Call to Dennis Hastert Mean? > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Dan Kedmey](https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey May 29, 2015 6:40 PM UTC  Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert speaks to lawmakers on the Illinois House of Representatives floor at the state Capitol in Springfield on Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert speaks to lawmakers on the Illinois House of Representatives floor at the state Capitol in Springfield on Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Seth Perlman—ASSOCIATED PRESS  by [Dan Kedmey](https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey May 29, 2015 6:40 PM UTC A C-SPAN caller’s mysterious question to Dennis Hastert last year has taken on a new meaning in light of recent allegations that the former House Speaker [illegally paid](http://time.com/3901216/hastert-indictment/) $3.5 million in hush money to an unidentified resident of Yorkville. The call was [placed](http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4539325/dennis-hastert-strange-yorkville-call) during a 2014 interview on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.” “Hello, Denny,” said the caller, who identified himself as Bruce. “Do you remember me from Yorkville?” The caller then laughs and hangs up the phone, and the interview moves on without further comment. Footage of the call garnered newfound attention after a federal grand jury indicted Hastert on Thursday for allegedly paying an acquaintance in his hometown of Yorkville hush money over “prior misconduct.” ### Photos: 6 Congressional Leaders Who Resigned Over Scandals  Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tx.) stepped down from his post as House majority leader in 2005 when a Texas grand jury indicted him on a conspiracy charge in his management of campaign finances. His corruption conviction was overturned in October. Carolyn Kaster—AP  In 1989, Rep. Jim Wright (D-Texas) became the first House Speaker to resign over scandal. He abdicated his post after a yearlong ethics investigation found he had accepted improper gifts and mishandled his speaking profits, among other finance violations. Diana Walker—Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images  Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) faced a sex scandal at the exact worst time: right as Republicans were calling for the impeachment of President Clinton. Livingston stepped down from the speakership in 1998 amid threats that details of his own affairs would be brought to light. Paul J. Richards—AFP/Getty Images  Rep. Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) was the third-ranking member of House Democratic leadership and resigned from Congress altogether as he faced a 1989 ethics probe into his personal finances. Paul Morigi—WireImage  Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott resigned as the Senate majority leader in 2002 after he made comments supporting the segregationist 1948 presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond. But Lott made a comeback five years later when he was elected minority whip. Jason Reed—Reuters  Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was formally reprimanded by the House and forced to pay a $300,000 penalty for violating tax law and lying to the investigating panel. He didn’t resign over the scandal, but it weakened his support among his Republican base. T.J. 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