Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert dies at 84 - USA Today

Former U.S. House speaker Dennis Hastert is dead at 84.

Hastert died at his home in Illinois over the weekend due to natural causes, Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell told USA TODAY Oct. 5.

As the 59th Speaker of the House, the former lawmaker from Illinois' 14th congressional districtwas the longest serving Republican speaker in history.

He was elected Speaker in 1999 following the resignation of Newt Gingrich, a Georgia Republican.

Hastert, who had never served in a top leadership post prior to being appointed to the position, served 20 years in Congress and eight years as the highest-ranking member of the House before retiring in January 2007.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, on Jan. 2, 1942, Hastert graduated from Oswego High School in Oswego, Illinois, his online biography shows. He graduated from Wheaton College in 1964, and then Northern Illinois University in 1967 and went onto work as a teacher before entering politics.

Hastert served 13 of a 15 month prison sentence in connection to a bank fraud conviction linked to his effort to buy the silence of a former student he sexually abused during his days as a high school wrestling coach in Illinois, USA TODAY previously reported.

He was sentenced in April 2016 in the case, which was linked to allegations he sexually abused teen boys more than 30 years prior.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.