Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies at 84; Convicted of Molesting Students

Dennis Hastert died Saturday at his home in Illinois while receiving hospice care. Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell confirmed the death Monday, citing natural causes.

• 8 years as House Speaker — longer than any Republican in U.S. history.
• 15 months in prison followed his 2015 guilty plea on banking charges.
• More than $1.7 million paid toward a $3.5 million hush-money agreement.
• Prosecutors said he sexually abused at least four athletes from 1965 to 1981.

Why it matters: Hastert was once third in the presidential line of succession. His fall became one of the most severe among senior American political figures.

• U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin called him a "serial child molester" at sentencing.
• The "Hastert Rule" — that a speaker should only bring bills backed by most of his own caucus — still bears his name in congressional parlance.

How 58 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage does not split on facts; outlets differ in how prominently they lead with his criminal record versus his legislative record.

What’s next: No public memorial arrangements have been announced.

• Survivors include his wife, Jean, and two adult sons.
• Whether any public or political figures will offer formal statements on his death.
• How his conviction and the accounts of his victims will factor into how historians assess his congressional legacy.