Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, has died at the age of 84. The Kendall County Coroner's Office in Illinois said Hastert died at his home on Saturday night while under hospice care. Hastert served as House speaker from 1999 to 2007, placing him second in the line of succession to the presidency. His reputation collapsed after a federal investigation into suspicious bank withdrawals exposed payments intended to conceal sexual abuse dating back to his years as a high school wrestling coach. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to illegally structuring cash withdrawals to avoid bank reporting requirements as part of a $3.5 million agreement with one of his victims.
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