Dennis Hastert, former House speaker disgraced by molestation allegations, dies aged 84

The Republican, who was sent to prison in 2016 in a hush-money case tied to the allegations, died over the weekend Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican US House speaker, died over the weekend, a coroner said Monday. He was 84. Hastert, who was speaker from 1999 until 2007, died of natural causes at his home, according to Jacquie Purcell, the Kendall county coroner.