Former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies at 84
Dennis Hastert has died at age 84. Hastert was the longest-serving Republican speaker of the US House.
He died Saturday of natural causes while in hospice care at home. Kendall County coroner Jacquie Purcell shared the news on Monday.
Hastert was speaker from 1999 until 2007. Later he helped pass much of George W. Bush's agenda.
Hastert was sent to prison in 2016. He spent more than a year there.
He pleaded guilty to evading banking laws over cash withdrawals. The withdrawals were tied to hush-money payments.
The case was tied to molestation allegations. NPR reported that he faced allegations of molesting high school athletes.
This was earlier in his career as a teacher and wrestling coach. The New York Times said he admitted abusing teenage boys decades earlier. He made that admission in 2016.
Key Terms 3
- hospice care Care that keeps very sick people comfortable near the end of life.
- hush-money Money paid to keep someone quiet about a secret.
- speaker The leader of the US House of Representatives.