The Latest: Ex-House Speaker Hastert recovering from stroke

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2015 file photo, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the federal courthouse in Chicago. The lawyer for Dennis Hastert said Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, the former U.S. House Speaker had a stroke during the first week of November and has been hospitalized since then. Attorney Tom Green said in a statement reported by Politico that Hastert had a stroke, has been treated for sepsis and had two back surgeries while in the hospital. The 73-year-old Hastert pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to a felony count of evading bank reporting laws in a hush-money scheme. (AP Photo/Matt Marton File) FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2015 file photo, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the federal courthouse in Chicago. The lawyer for Dennis Hastert said Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, the former U.S. House Speaker had a stroke during the first week of November and has been hospitalized since then. Attorney Tom Green said in a statement reported by Politico that Hastert had a stroke, has been treated for sepsis and had two back surgeries while in the hospital. The 73-year-old Hastert pleaded guilty Oct. 28 to a felony count of evading bank reporting laws in a hush-money scheme. (AP Photo/Matt Marton File)

By Associated Press December 17, 2015 2 min read

CHICAGO (AP) – The latest on former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s hospitalization (all times local):

2:10 p.m.

Dennis Hastert’s lawyer says in an emailed statement that the former U.S. house speaker who is awaiting sentencing in a hush-money case had a stroke more than a month ago and has been hospitalized since then.

Washington-based attorney Tom Green said Thursday that the Illinois Republican had a stroke, was treated for a potentially life-threatening infection and had two back surgeries.

Green also said there’s hope Hastert will be released early in 2016, but the five-sentence statement provided few other details.