[JURIST] Former US Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert in a sentencing memorandum [text, PDF] filed on Wednesday urged the court [Politico report] to spare him jail time and impose a sentence of probation. The memorandum first acknowledged Hastert’s past actions and stated that he was “deeply sorry” for such actions before discussing how throughout his life he has been committed to service and “enriched the lives of so many.” The memorandum then highlighted the importance of his family and how his prior actions affected his relationship with his family and friends. The memorandum concluded discussing how Hastert’s health has been declining, finally asking the judge to impose probation instead of jail time. Hastert is scheduled for sentencing on April 27.

Hastert pleaded guilty [TIME report] to charges of money laundering in connection with a hush-money scheme where it was alleged that Hastert was involved in sexual misconduct during his time as a high school teacher. An investigation by the Chicago Tribune indicated that at least four people have made “credible allegations” against Hastert [Chicago Tribune report]. While Hastert has not come confirmed the allegations of sexual abuse, the memorandum noted that Hastert “regrets that he resorted to structuring the withdrawal of his money from banks in an effort to prevent the disclosure of that misconduct […]” and that he “apologize[d] to his family, friends, former constituents, and all others affected by his misconduct.”