By JM Rieger and David Hawkings

At his weekly news conference Thursday, Speaker John A. Boehner said he was “shocked and dismayed” by the recent allegations against former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, who federal prosecutors say skirted banking regulations and lied to FBI agents about it, reportedly to hide payments to a person he sexually abused while teaching high school history and coaching wrestling. “I had no inkling whatsoever. I was as shocked and dismayed by the reports that I read as anyone else around here,” Boehner said. “But again, I think it’s important for us to have the facts before we make decisions.” Read more.