Former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert Dies At Age 84

Dennis Hastert, who served eight years as speaker of the U.S. House and later spent over a year in prison for structuring cash withdrawals to hide hush money payments related to sexual abuse allegations, has died at age 84 according to CBS News citing the Kendall County Coroner's Office in Illinois.

The coroner confirmed that Hastert passed away due to natural causes at his home. He served in Congress from 1987 to 2007 and announced his resignation before completing his term after Democrats took control of the chamber nearly a decade later when he faced accusations of molesting four teenagers while coaching wrestling.

Although statutory limitations prevented him from facing sexual abuse charges, Hastert pleaded guilty in 2015 to structuring cash withdrawals. He was sentenced to fifteen months in prison and released early in 2017 following an apology for his actions.