Former Republican House Speaker Dead At 84

Breaking News: Dennis Hastert, the former Republican congressman from Illinois who served as speaker of the House before falling from grace in a sex abuse scandal that came to light after he left government, has died at 84.https://t.co/X2r44XSsou

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 5, 2026

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Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell confirmed Monday that Hastert died at his home over the weekend due to natural causes. No further details were given.

Born in 1942 in Aurora, Illinois, Hastert grew up in a farming community. He went on to graduate from Wheaton College, where he received a degree in economics, before earning a teaching degree from Northern Illinois University. Hastert married Jean Kahl in 1973. The couple had two sons.

Hastert worked as a teacher in Illinois for 16 years while coaching wrestling. In 1976, he was named Illinois Coach of the Year. Four decades later, he would admit to sexually abusing boys during his time as a coach.

Hastert then served in the Illinois legislature, before going on to be elected to represent Illinois’ 14th district in the U.S. House in 1986.

Hastert served in Congress from 1987 to 2007. With the mentorship of House Minority Leader Robert. H Michel, Hastert’s profile grew among the GOP ranks, and in 1995, he became chief deputy whip. When former House Speaker Newt Gingrich stepped down in 1998, Hastert became the conference’s second choice for his successor, following Rep. Bob Livingston’s decision to step aside amid a scandal over extra-marital affairs.

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Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who later admitted to sexual abuse, dead at 84 https://t.co/z41RvjPuvk pic.twitter.com/FfSOcLubo7

— New York Post (@nypost) October 5, 2026

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In 2015, it emerged that “Individual A” had accused Hastert of sexually abusing him while a student at Yorkville High School in the Chicago suburbs.

Federal prosecutors ultimately alleged Hastert had molested at least four boys and was paying them hush money. He was never charged with sexual abuse, as the statute of limitations had expired.

The former speaker pled guilty and admitted at his sentencing hearing that he had molested boys during his time as a coach. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, ordered to undergo sex-offender treatment, serve two years of supervised release and pay a $250,000 fine.

“Nothing is more stunning than to have the words ‘serial child molester’ and ‘speaker of the House’ in the same sentence,” federal judge Thomas Durkin said at the time.

Hastert served 13 months of his sentence and was released in July 2017. He was the longest serving Republican speaker and the highest-ranking elected official to serve a prison sentence. After leaving Congress and before his arrest, Hastert worked as a lobbyist and consultant.

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