Dennis Hastert Obituary, PLANO, Ill. — Dennis Hastert, the former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who later served prison time in a federal case involving hush-money payments, has died at the age of 84. The Kendall County coroner said Hastert died at his Illinois home over the weekend while under hospice care and from natural causes.
Hastert represented Illinois in Congress after first winning election in 1986. He rose through House Republican leadership before succeeding Newt Gingrich as speaker in 1999. He held the position until 2007, becoming the longest-serving Republican speaker in U.S. history.
During his time as speaker, Hastert presided over the House during major national events, including the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the anthrax mailings that followed. He remained in Congress until November 2007 after Democrats regained control of the House.
Before entering national politics, Hastert worked as a teacher and high school wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Illinois. His later political career was overshadowed by revelations concerning allegations of sexual abuse involving boys he had coached decades earlier.
In 2015, federal prosecutors charged Hastert with illegally structuring bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements. Prosecutors said the withdrawals were connected to payments made to a former student in an effort to conceal past sexual abuse. Hastert pleaded guilty to the banking charge.
At his 2016 sentencing, Hastert acknowledged sexually abusing boys he had coached. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, two years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He served 13 months before being released in July 2017. He was not criminally charged with the alleged abuse because the statute of limitations had expired.
Hastert’s death closes the life of a political figure whose career included a historic tenure as House speaker but was later defined by a federal conviction and revelations about misconduct from his years as a wrestling coach. His death was confirmed as occurring at his Illinois home, with the Kendall County coroner reporting natural causes. His passing leaves behind a deeply complicated public legacy, and condolences are extended to those mourning his death.
