Dennis Hastert, former US House speaker disgraced by sex abuse allegations, dies at 84

A major political force in Washington who fell from grace amid child sex abuse allegations, former United States House Speaker Dennis Hastert died of natural causes in his Kendall County home Saturday at the age of 84.

The Aurora native rose in the ranks from a member of the Illinois House of Representatives to a U.S. Congressman and later the U.S. Speaker of the House. But his conviction in 2016 for financial misconduct as part of a plan to pay hush money led to explosive revelations in federal court that he sexually abused teenage boys in the 1970s while he was a wrestling coach at Yorkville High School. Hastert was sentenced to 15 months.

The man who was once second in line to the presidency couldn’t be prosecuted for sex abuse because the statute of limitation for those crimes had passed a decade earlier.

Hastert died in his Plano home on Oct. 3 where he was in hospice care, the Kendall County coroner’s office said.

During his sentencing in 2016, Judge Thomas Durkin called Hastert a “serial child molester,” at the end of a two-hour hearing that revealed former state House GOP leader Tom Cross’ brother was among Hastert’s victims.

“Nothing is more stunning than having ‘serial child molester’ and ‘speaker of the house’ in the same sentence,” Durkin said during sentencing.

Hastert used a walker that day to stand at a podium and admit that he was “deeply ashamed.” He apologized to his victims, the government, his family and friends and “the people of the United States.”

But the former House speaker tried to label the abuse by saying he “mistreated” victims. Durkin wouldn’t allow such a blanket term and asked specifically about Scott Cross, one of his victims who at age 53 described Hastert’s actions to the judge in graphic, emotional detail.

“Did you sexually abuse Mr. Cross?” Durkin said.

“I don’t remember doing that, but I accept his statement,” Hastert said.

Durkin asked about another victim and Hastert admitted to the abuse. When the judge asked about the late Yorkville High School wrestling team manager Stephen Reinboldt, another victim, Hastert told the judge, “It was a different situation, sir.” After the judge offered to let him elaborate, Hastert huddled with his lawyer and simply admitted to the abuse.

One of the victims who came forward to authorities said Hastert put a Lazyboy–type chair in direct view of the shower stalls in the Yorkville High School locker room where he sat while the boys showered.

When a bank first questioned Hastert about his suspicious bank withdrawals, Hastert lied and claimed he was using the money to buy stocks and antique cars. He later told authorities he was the victim of an extortion plot by Individual A. He helped the federal authorities secretly record two phone conversations with Individual A in March 2015.

But authorities began to doubt the claim and confronted Individual A. That’s when Hastert’s dark secrets began to spill out.

Hastert left a federal prison in Minnesota in June 2017 after spending 13 months. He was also ordered to participate in a sex offender treatment program.

Illinois in 2017 passed a measure that eliminated statutes of limitations for all child sex abuse crimes, citing Hastert as a reason for a needed change. The bill was pushed by then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Prior to the criminal case that stained his legacy, Hastert was known largely for the longest serving Republican house speaker, serving from 1999 until 2007. He was elected speaker after Newt Gingrich lost support, in part, because of an ethics violation and because Republicans had lost support in their last election.

After President George W. Bush won the White House, Hastert helped the president pass his legislative priorities.

Hastert was born on Jan. 2, 1942 in Aurora, but considered himself a “true son of Kendall County,” according to an Illinois House resolution passed in 2008 when Hastert left Congress. It was sponsored by then-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and Tom Cross. Those revelations had not yet come to the forefront.

“The ‘Denny’ who became a familiar figure to television audiences around the world started out as a carrier of 100-pound feed bags for the agricultural supply business that his family owned and operated,” the resolution said. It went on to call Hastert “both a teacher and a maker of history,” and said he “successfully mentored” the wrestling team, the Foxes, to their state championship title in 1975.

Hastert spent three terms in the Illinois House before replacing U.S. Rep. John E. Grotberg after health concerns forced him to step down. He won his seat in 1994, in a district that had been led by a Democrat for more than 30 years.

The resolution lauded his work in the development of alternative energy sources, “the War on Drugs” and American health care. He also led a legislative effort to pass the federal Patients’ Bill of Rights.

After leaving Congress, Hastert led the creation of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy at Wheaton College, the college where he graduated in 1964. Wheaton College scrubbed Hastert from the college after his indictment. Yorkville High School did the same. And a portrait of Hastert was also removed from the U.S House Capitol after he pleaded guilty.

Despite his tarnished legacy, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., on Monday said he was saddened by Hastert’s passing and said the two had developed a good bipartisan working relationship in the House.

“Our years serving together also demonstrated that members of Congress with different political philosophies could still find areas of common ground and work together,” Davis said in a statement. “…“I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones during this time of loss.”

Contributing: Mohammad Samra