<p>Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of evading federal bank reporting laws in connection with a scheme to pay hush money to a former associate.</p><p>Hastert entered the plea in front of a federal judge in Chicago. The indictment in the case says only that the payments related to “past misconduct,” but press reports have said Hastert—a former high school teacher and wrestling coach--was trying to cover up and compensate for sexual contact with a student.</p><p>The judge could sentence the 73-year-old Hastert to up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but both sides in the case told the judge that federal sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of zero to six months in prison.</p><p>Under a plea bargain with prosecutors, a charge Hastert faced of lying to the FBI will be dropped.<br /></p><br>