Former Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert dies aged 84 in Illinois home
Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican House Speaker in American history who led the chamber from 1999 to 2007, has died at age 84 from natural causes at his Illinois home. His death marks the end of a political career that was dramatically overshadowed by the revelation that he had sexually abused teenage boys whilst working as a wrestling coach before entering Congress, ultimately leading to his imprisonment and becoming the highest-ranking elected official to serve prison time.
Hastert represented Illinois in Congress for 20 years before rising unexpectedly to the speakership after Newt Gingrich stepped down; he was sometimes called the "accidental speaker" due to the circumstances of his elevation. After leaving Congress in 2007, federal investigators uncovered suspicious bank transactions in 2013, leading to his 2015 indictment for structuring withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements and lying to the FBI. The misconduct involved payments to compensate victims of abuse from the late 1970s, which Hastert acknowledged in court in 2016, apologising to "the boys I mistreated." He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, which he served before his release.
- Former longest-serving Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert dies at 84.
- His career ended after conviction for sexual abuse of students as coach.
- Became highest-ranking US official imprisoned for serious federal crime.
New here? Start with this
Dennis Hastert was the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, holding the position from 1999 to 2007. He rose to the role somewhat unexpectedly after Newt Gingrich stepped down, and he became known in political circles as the "accidental speaker" due to these circumstances. Before his political career, Hastert worked as a high school wrestling coach in Illinois.
Hastert sexually abused teenage boys during his time as a wrestling coach in the late 1970s and 1980s, misconduct that went undetected for decades. In 2013, federal investigators uncovered suspicious financial transactions that eventually led to the discovery of his crimes. Hastert pleaded guilty in 2016 to structuring bank withdrawals and making false statements to federal investigators in order to conceal compensation payments he was making to his abuse victims.
Hastert was convicted of the financial crimes and received a 13-month prison sentence, which he subsequently served. He became the highest-ranking elected official to serve prison time in modern American history. His case demonstrated that serious crimes could result in imprisonment regardless of a person's previous professional status or public position.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Longest-serving Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert who served prison time dead at 84”.