Related: FBI asked to return lawmaker's documents

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined House Speaker Dennis Hastert in criticizing the Department of Justice.

    WASHINGTON, May 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, ABC News reported Wednesday.

    Quoting unnamed sources in the Justice Department, ABC News said information implicating Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, was developed from convicted lobbyists, who are now cooperating with the government in a corruption investigation.

    The report, however, was denied shortly by the Justice Department.

    Hastert's office later issue a statement saying the ABC News story was "absolutely untrue."

    Referring to the Justice Department denial, the statement said Hastert was not under investigation by the Justice Department, and demanded ABC News "a full retraction" of the story.

    A number of lawmakers could be implicated in the corruption scandal involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy, tax evasion and wire fraud charges early this year and agreed to cooperate in the investigation.

    Abramoff was convicted and sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison in March this year. Enditem.