Dennis Hastert

Legendary card · No. 993

John Dennis Hastert ( HASS-tərt; January 2, 1942 – October 3, 2026) was an American politician, educator, and criminal who served as the 51st speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Illinois's 14th congressional district from 1987 to 2007 and was the sixth longest-serving speaker in history, and the longest serving Republican. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for financial offenses related to the sexual abuse of teenage boys. He admitted to the abuse at a sentencing hearing, though he was never convicted of any sexual crimes. From 1965 to 1981, Hastert was a high school teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School in Yorkville, Illinois. He lost a 1980 bid for the Illinois House of Representatives but ran again and won a seat in 1981. He was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1986 and was re-elected every two years until he retired in 2007. Hastert rose through...

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