Nat/act/nzf 2023

[jonu]

Chippie seems too busy barking up the sovereignty tree for that .. must be scared of what's left from that support faction deserting after Whining Willie lost his loudhailer in the chaos

Good. Long may he talk. He will keep Labour/Greens/Te Pati Maori unelectable. Mind you, Hipkin's interview was with Willie's ex-wife, so Willie's all over it.

[moka]

So the unnamed crook who is not an MP has been found guilty on all 8 charges

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/...decent-assault

Sexual misconduct within political circles is probably a lot more common than most of us realize. In the US sexual blackmail has been used to control politicians.

Sexual blackmail in politics is not a new phenomenon. Intelligence agencies and other actors have long used compromising sexual information to influence or discredit political figures. This tactic, known as "kompromat" in Russian intelligence circles, involves collecting damaging information that can be used to create negative publicity or exert leverage over public figures.

The story of Dennis Hastert Speaker of the US House of Representatives has a familiar ring to it. Hastert had sexually abused multiple teenage boys during his time as a high school teacher and coach decades earlier. This was known to a few people and he was appointed as Speaker because of this, because he could be blackmailed and controlled.

Dennis Hastert served as the 51st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, making him the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history.
Hastert represented Illinois's 14th congressional district from 1987 to 2007. As Speaker, Hastert supported the George W. Bush administration's policies and instituted the controversial informal "Hastert Rule" of only allowing floor votes on bills supported by a majority of Republican members.

Background
Before entering politics, Hastert worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Illinois from 1965 to 1981.

In 2015, Hastert was indicted for financial crimes related to large bank withdrawals. During the investigation, it was revealed that Hastert had sexually abused multiple teenage boys during his time as a high school teacher and coach decades earlier. In 2016, Hastert pled guilty to violating banking laws and publicly admitted to having sexually abused students. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, fined $250,000, and ordered to enroll in a sex-offender treatment program. Hastert could not be criminally charged for the sexual abuse due to statutes of limitations.

The revelations about Hastert's past sexual abuse of minors shocked many of his former colleagues. Some, like Tom DeLay, continued to support Hastert and urged leniency in sentencing, while others expressed disbelief at the allegations. The case cast new light on Hastert's handling of other sexual misconduct scandals during his time as Speaker, such as the Mark Foley case.

In 2021, Hastert reached a tentative out-of-court settlement with one of his accusers regarding $1.8 million in unpaid hush money. This civil case had led to the initial criminal investigation that uncovered Hastert's history of abuse.