Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, once the highest-ranking Republican in Congress and a key ally of President George W. Bush, has died at age 84. While Hastert was the longest-serving GOP speaker in House of Representatives history, his political legacy was ultimately overshadowed by a criminal case that exposed decades-old sexual abuse allegations and led to a federal prison sentence.
Hastert died at his home in Plano, Illinois, on October 3 while under hospice care, the Kendall County Coroner confirmed Monday. Newsweek reached out to the Republican National Committee for comment Monday morning. Hastert was born in Aurora, Illinois, in January 1942.
He was raised in a rural farming community, with his family owning a farm supply business and a family farm. He taught in his home state for 16 years, during which time he also served as a wrestling coach. In 1976, he was named Illinois coach of the year.
Hastert married Jean Kahl in 1973, and the couple had two sons, Joshua and Ethan. The elder, Joshua, worked as a lobbyist, while Ethan ran for his father's old seat in 2010. He lost the primary to Illinois State Senator Randy Hultgren.
After working as a teacher, Hastert moved into politics, serving in the state legislature from 1983 through 1987, before he was elected a Member of the House of Representatives for Illinois' 14th district—a position he held until 2007. Hastert was a protégé of House Minority Leader Robert H. Michel during the early Clinton years, when Republicans were in the minority.
In 1995, after the GOP gained control of the House, Hastert became chief whip when Newt Gingrich took over as Speaker. After the midterms in 1998, Gingrich stepped down following a poor performance for the Republicans, with Representative Robert Livingston set to take over the role. Livingston then surprised lawmakers by announcing he would not take the position following revelations about his extramarital affairs.
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