Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker in history and a figure whose political ascent culminated in a disgraced fall from grace, has died at 84. Hastert, who wielded the Speaker’s gavel from 1999 to 2007, became the highest-ranking U.S. official to ever serve jail time after admitting to sexually abusing teenage students decades earlier while he was a high school history teacher and wrestling coach. The scandal emerged in 2015 when federal banking regulators flagged Hastert’s suspicious cash withdrawals, revealing he was paying millions in hush money to the family of one of his victims. Despite his admission to mistreating athletes and taking advantage of a student, Hastert never faced charges for the sexual conduct itself, ultimately serving 13 months for illegal bank transactions related to the hush-money payments. His tenure as Speaker, though marked by significant legislative influence including the unofficial ‘Hastert Rule’ that dictated which bills reached the House floor, is now overshadowed by the revelations of his past abuse and subsequent conviction.
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
