10 hours ago
4
Washington — Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who represented Illinois for 2 decades successful Congress and was jailed for violating banking laws, has died, a coroner successful Illinois said. He was 84.
Both the longest-serving Republican House talker and the highest-ranking elected U.S. authoritative to service a situation sentence, Hastert's stunning autumn from grace came successful 2016, erstwhile helium was sentenced to 15 months successful prison connected charges related to his concealment of hush wealth payments made to screen up his intersexual maltreatment of teenage boys during his clip arsenic a precocious schoolhouse wrestling coach.
Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell confirmed Monday that Hastert died astatine his location implicit the play owed to earthy causes. No further details were given.
Born successful 1942 successful Aurora, Illinois, Hastert grew up successful a farming community. He went connected to postgraduate from Wheaton College, wherever helium received a grade successful economics, earlier earning a teaching grade from Northern Illinois University. Hastert joined Jean Kahl successful 1973. The mates had 2 sons.
Hastert worked arsenic a teacher successful Illinois for 16 years portion coaching wrestling. In 1976, helium was named Illinois Coach of the Year. Four decades later, helium would admit to sexually abusing boys during his clip arsenic a coach.
Hastert past served successful the Illinois legislature, earlier going connected to beryllium elected to correspond Illinois' 14th territory successful the U.S. House successful 1986.
Hastert served successful Congress from 1987 to 2007. With the mentorship of House Minority Leader Robert. H Michel, Hastert's illustration grew among the GOP ranks, and successful 1995, helium became main lawman whip. When erstwhile House Speaker Newt Gingrich stepped down successful 1998, Hastert became the conference's 2nd prime for his successor, pursuing Rep. Bob Livingston's determination to measurement speech amid a ungraded implicit extra-marital affairs.
Known arsenic the "accidental speaker," Hastert would spell connected to go the longest-serving Republican talker successful history. During his tenure, Hastert, who had been a vocal professional of the Clinton administration, worked intimately with erstwhile President George W. Bush connected his argumentation agenda.
Among Hastert's astir enduring imprints connected the enclosure is the regularisation that bears his name, which informally requires that the House ballot lone connected measures that person a bulk of enactment from the bulk enactment successful the chamber. The rule, which has faced disapproval for making Congress much partisan, has posed hurdles for Republican House enactment successful caller years.
After House Republicans mislaid the bulk successful the 2006 midterm elections, Hastert opted to permission leadership, earlier resigning from Congress successful 2007.
Hastert became a lobbyist and advisor aft leaving office. In 2013, the FBI and IRS began investigating the erstwhile talker surrounding suspicions that helium was illegally structuring slope transactions. In 2015, Hastert was indicted for structuring slope transactions to evade reporting requirements and making mendacious statements to the FBI.
Hastert pleaded guilty successful 2015 to violating banking laws by making repeated ample currency withdrawals, which were revealed to beryllium going to 1 of his victims. During the hearing, Hastert admitted to sexually abusing boys during his clip arsenic their wrestling coach. At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin called Hastert a "serial kid molester," and sentenced him to 15 months successful prison, a $250,000 good and ordered him to enactment successful a enactment offender program. Hastert was not charged with sex-related crimes, arsenic the statutes of limitations had expired. He served 13 months successful a national situation earlier his merchandise successful 2017.
Zachary Farden, the U.S. lawyer for the Northern District of Illinois, said aft Hastert was sentenced that determination are "no winners successful immoderate of this"
"Mr. Hastert's fable and bequest are gone, and successful its spot are a broken, humiliated man," Farden said. "That is however it should be."
In:
English (US) ·