The Kendall County Coroner’s Office in Illinois said Hastert died at his home on Saturday night while under hospice care.
Hastert was one of the most powerful politicians in Washington, serving as Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. The position placed him second in the line of presidential succession at the time.
His reputation, however, collapsed years after he left Congress when a federal investigation into suspicious bank withdrawals uncovered payments he had made to conceal sexual abuse dating back to his years as a high school wrestling coach.
Hastert pleaded guilty in 2015 to illegally structuring cash withdrawals to avoid bank reporting requirements as part of a $3.5 million agreement with one of his victims.
At his sentencing the following year, he admitted for the first time that he had sexually abused boys while teaching and coaching wrestling at Yorkville High School in Illinois between the 1960s and early 1980s.
“They looked to me and I took advantage of them,” Hastert told the court.
Prosecutors detailed allegations involving at least five boys, some as young as 14. Hastert could not be prosecuted for the sexual offences because the statutes of limitations had expired and was instead sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for violating banking laws.
US District Judge Thomas Durkin described him during sentencing as a “serial child molester.”
Hastert served in the House from 1987 until 2007 and became speaker following the turbulent departure of fellow Republican Newt Gingrich and the withdrawal of Gingrich’s intended successor, Bob Livingston.
He remained speaker until Democrats regained control of the House in the 2006 midterm elections.
Hastert was released from federal prison in 2017 after serving most of his sentence.
Post a Comment