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KENDALL COUNTY, Ill. - Former U.S. House Speaker and longtime Illinois congressman Dennis Hastert has died at his home in the Chicago area.
Dennis Hastert dies at 84
The Kendall County Coroner's Office confirmed Hastert died over the weekend at his home from natural causes.
Hastert was 84. He was born in Aurora in 1942 and represented Illinois in the U.S. House from 1987 until his resignation in 2007.
According to the U.S. House history website, Hastert became speaker in 1999 after the resignation of Newt Gingrich of Georgia. He served as speaker during the 106th, 107th, 108th and 109th Congresses.
Hastert was the longest-serving Republican speaker at the time, presiding over the House during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the October 2001 anthrax attacks.
Before entering politics, Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School. He later served in the Illinois House before being elected to Congress.
The backstory:
Hastert’s political career ended after federal investigators examined large cash withdrawals he made while paying $3.5 million to a person identified in court documents as Individual A.
Prosecutors said Hastert was paying the money to keep allegations of sexual abuse secret. Because of the statute of limitations, he was charged with violating banking laws rather than with sexual abuse.
Hastert pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2016 to 15 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to undergo sex-offender treatment, serve two years of supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine.
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 27: Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert leaves the Dirksen Federal Court House in a wheelchair after his sentencing on April 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $250,000 t …
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors said Hastert had abused at least four students while working at Yorkville High School. Hastert acknowledged mistreating athletes he coached but said he did not remember abusing one former wrestler who spoke in court.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin sharply criticized Hastert during the hearing, saying the abuse had devastated victims and their families.
"Nothing is more stunning than to have the words 'serial child molester' and 'speaker of the House' in the same sentence," Durkin said.
What's next:
The Kendall County Coroner’s Office said no further information about Hastert’s death was available for release.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Kendall County Coroner’s Office, U.S. House of Representatives history website, and an Associated Press report from April 2016.