Dennis Hastert, longtime Republican House speaker who went to prison, dies at age 84
Summary
Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, died at age 84 from natural causes. He served as House Speaker from 1999 to 2007 and later went to prison after pleading guilty to charges related to paying hush money to conceal past sexual misconduct as a high school wrestling coach.Key Facts
- Dennis Hastert served as Speaker of the House from 1999 to 2007, the longest tenure for a Republican in that role.
- He helped pass major parts of President George W. Bush’s agenda, including large tax cuts and expanded Medicare drug benefits.
- Hastert was previously a high school wrestling coach who won a state championship and was named national coach of the year in 1976.
- In 2015, Hastert was accused of evading banking laws to pay hush money to cover up past sexual abuse of teenage wrestlers.
- Prosecutors said Hastert abused at least four boys from 1965 to 1981 during his time as a coach in Yorkville, Illinois.
- He pled guilty to evading banking regulations but never directly admitted to sexual abuse in court.
- Hastert was sentenced in 2016 to 15 months in prison.
- The case significantly damaged his political legacy.
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