Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies at 84

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert died over the weekend at age 84. The Kendall County Coroner's office confirmed his death, citing natural causes.

Hastert, a Republican, served as Speaker of the House from 1999 to January 2007, the longest tenure for his party in that role. He joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 1989, after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1980 to 1986. His public service career began as a teacher and coach.

Hastert's political career was later overshadowed by legal troubles. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to charges of concealing hush money payments intended to cover up sexual abuse of teen boys from his time as a high school wrestling coach. He received a 15-month prison sentence, becoming one of the highest-ranking U.S. elected officials to serve a federal sentence. He served 13 months before his release to a halfway house.

During his sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Durkin stated the gravity of the situation, noting, “Nothing is more stunning than to have the words ‘serial child molester’ and ‘speaker of the House’ in the same sentence.” Hastert acknowledged in court that he had taken advantage of athletes who looked up to him.