Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies at 84
Hastert, who served 20 years in the House and admitted to sexual abuse, died at his home.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who later admitted to sexually abusing children while a high school wrestling coach, died over the weekend at his home in the Chicago area. He was 84.
Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, served for two decades in the House of Representatives. During his tenure, he presided over the chamber during significant events, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the October 2001 anthrax crisis. He resigned from Congress in November 2007.
In 2013, the FBI initiated an investigation into suspicious cash withdrawals made by Hastert, which totaled $3.5 million paid to an individual identified as "Individual A." These withdrawals were intended to evade bank reporting requirements, according to investigators.
The following year, in 2014, Hastert was indicted by a grand jury. The charges included making false statements to investigators and unlawfully arranging cash withdrawals. In 2015, it came to light that "Individual A" had accused Hastert of sexual abuse during his time as a student at Yorkville High School in the Chicago suburbs.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Hastert had molested at least four boys and was paying them hush money. However, he was never formally charged with sexual abuse due to the statute of limitations having expired.
At his sentencing hearing, the former speaker pleaded guilty and acknowledged that he had molested boys while he was a coach. He received a sentence of 15 months in federal prison, was ordered to undergo sex-offender treatment, and was given two years of supervised release. Additionally, he was required to pay a $250,000 fine.
Hastert served 13 months of his sentence and was released in July 2017.