Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican House Speaker, dies at 84
J. Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the U.S. House, has died at age 84. He passed away of natural causes at his home in Plano, Illinois, according to Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell. Hastert served as Speaker from 1999 to 2007, significantly advancing the legislative agenda of President George W. Bush, including major tax cuts and Medicare expansions. However, his legacy was permanently altered in 2016 when he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for bank fraud related to hush money payments to conceal the sexual abuse of teenage wrestlers. He remains the highest-ranking American politician ever to serve time in prison.