Illinois Senator Michael Hastings’ Unsealed Court Records Point To Paramour

Illinois (ECWd) –

The recently unsealed records in Michael Hastings’s divorce case are proving to explain why Hastings was fighting so hard to keep them sealed.

In a Petition for Contribution To Attorneys Fees and Costs filed on 7/26/2022 by the attorney for Hastings’s wife, Kathleen Hastings, the attorney points to Senator Hastings alleged paramour expenditures.

Paragraph 14(a)ii. Michael has filed pleadings to sell the only car that Kate drives and transports the children in and liquidate the children’s college accounts to pay for the cost of this litigation while at the same time he continues to vacation and spend money on his paramour.”(emphasis added)

In a PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF INTENT TO CLAIM DISSIPATION filing on the same day, we see yet another reference to expenditures towards a paramour.

“Pargraph 4. During the time the parties’ marriage was undergoing an irretrievable breakdown commencing in November of 2020 and continuing to the present. Mike has improperly used marital fonds or incurred financial obligations for his sole benefit for purposes unrelated to the marriage. These expenditures include cash withdrawals (the purpose of which is unknown to date), payments towards his paramour, transfers to third parties for unknown purposes, transfer of funds to seemingly pay Hastings Law Office expenditures which have not been disclosed, and the like. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a schedule of expenses relating to same.” (emphasis added)

Exhibit A points to Hastings spending money on vacationing, dining, hotels, and other things with a notation of Lisa Sterba.  Lisa Sterba is not Hastings’s wife, and there is no direct evidence that she is “the paramour” mentioned in the filing.

We note that the records reflect Lisa Sterba was subpoenaed for records and testimony which sought specific records related to gifts, travel, funding, etc.  We redacted the home address listed for Sterba as the court records we obtained were unredacted.  Additional records indicate she failed to appear for her deposition which resulted in an emergency motion to compel her deposition and states she is a material witness regarding the financial situation of the parties.  The court ordered that deposition and others to be conducted.

Stay tuned for future updates.