Il--Bill proposed to yank Hastert's pension; Victims respond
For immediate release: Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests(314 503 0003 cell, [email protected])
An Illinois lawmaker is pushing a bill that would further cut the pension of ex-House speaker Denny Hastert. We support this measure. We also call on Congress to censure Hastert and Hastert to voluntarily compensate his victims using the millions he earned as a lobbyist and for decades on the payroll of Illinois and US taxpayers.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160530/news/160539947/
State Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Shorewood Democrat, has filed a plan in Springfield aimed at Hastert's benefits, proposing that a pension be taken away if someone "at any time" is convicted of a felony "while in any position of trust, authority, or supervision in relation to the victim."
We applaud this move. Hastert’s victims have suffered enough. Illinois’ archaic, predator-friendly statutes of limitations prevents them from seeking justice in court. So the least Illinois lawmakers can do is limit the amount of money this admitted serial predator gets from the government.
And the least Congress can do is censure Hastert. It would be unusual but not unprecedented. (Rachel Maddow noted this on 5/20.) And it would warn those who would commit or conceal child sex crimes to perhaps think twice before doing so.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/congress-oddly-silent-on-hastert-sex-crimes-690041411973
http://gawker.com/when-will-the-house-censure-dennis-hastert-the-child-p-1773398760
And the least Hastert himself can do is to voluntarily use his millions to compensate his victims.
Later this month, Hastert will start serving his 15-month prison sentence.
No matter what lawmakers, judges or other officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups by Hastert to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Hastert to lose thousands more in pension benefits -
Mike Riopell, Daily Herald
Former U.S. Speaker Dennis Hastert's pension from his days as a state lawmaker will drop sharply following his federal sentencing last month, according to a letter sent from a state pension official.
And the longest-serving Republican speaker now owes the state $1,687.15, according to a May 27 letter sent by General Assembly Retirement System Secretary Timothy Blair.
Hastert lost his Illinois teacher pension the day he was . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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