Two years ago, Denny Hastert (R - IL) held a $1500-a-head fund-raising lunch at Signatures, the D.C. restaurant owned by "super-lobbyist" Jack Abramoff. Hastert raked in thousands from the event, but never actually paid for the lunch until earlier this month, after Business Week Online started investigating. Hastert's office refused to say how much the bill was for, which initially struck as sort of odd. After all, could a lunch bill really be so astronomical that the smart PR move was to cover it up rather than disclose it?
Then we got a look at Hastert:
And a look at a typical Signatures entree:
And now we understand. — GREG BEATO
Denny Hastert's Late Payment [BW Online]
Stacking the Deck [Raw Story]
Cured Lamb and Tandoori Pork [Signatures]