An article summarized by People:
Dennis Hastert, the former Republican Speaker of the U.S. House and the longest-serving Republican to hold the position, died at age 84 at his home in Kendall County, Illinois. The county coroner said he died of natural causes. Hastert served as speaker from 1999 to 2007, overseeing major events including President Bill Clinton’s impeachment and the congressional response to the Iraq War. He left Congress in 2007 after Democrats won control of the House and Nancy Pelosi became speaker.
Hastert’s political career was later overshadowed by allegations that he sexually abused underage boys while working as a teacher and wrestling coach in Illinois. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to financial crimes involving nearly $1 million in cash withdrawals that prosecutors said were used as hush-money payments to one of his alleged victims. Hastert admitted during his sentencing that he had sexually abused underage boys and was sentenced to 15 months in prison, fined $250,000 and required to undergo sex-offender treatment.
Before entering Congress, Hastert spent 16 years as a teacher and coach before entering Illinois politics. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1986 and eventually rose through Republican leadership to become speaker. His tenure included strong conservative positions on issues including the Equal Rights Amendment and LGBTQ+ protections, as well as controversy over his response to Hurricane Katrina. Despite his long political career and influence in Washington, his legacy is now largely defined by the sexual-abuse allegations, his criminal conviction and the scandal that ended his public career.
