By Haley Kosik/WJEZ News

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, 73, entered a plea of not guilty today at his first court appearance since he was indicted two weeks ago.

He was in court for 20 minutes at the federal courthouse in Chicago. His lawyer, Thomas C. Green, entered the plea on his behalf. The judge set bond of $4,500, with conditions: Hastert surrendered his passport and is to have no contact with victims or witnesses in the case.

Hastert is charged with structuring bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements and lying to the FBI. He was allegedly paying hush money to someone over past misconduct, the nature of which wasn’t specified in the indictment and about which nothing was said today.

Since the indictment, several individuals have stepped forward to say that the misconduct involved sex with underage boys when Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in the 1960s and 70s, but none of that has been confirmed and Hastert has not admitted to that.

The judge, Thomas M. Durkin, made campaign contributions to Hastert more than a decade ago. He said he’ll get off the case if that’s what the litigants want.