Dennis Hastert, speaker of the House from 1999 to 2007, dies

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert died at the age of 85 at his home in Illinois, where he was receiving palliative care.

According to AFP, Hastert died on Saturday, although the news was made public on Monday.

He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007—coinciding with the end of the Clinton administration and much of the Bush administration. Hastert, a member of the Republican Party, became one of the most powerful politicians both within and outside his party.

However, his reputation plummeted when a federal investigation into suspicious bank withdrawals revealed payments intended to cover up child sexual abuse dating back to his years as a high school sports coach.

Years later, Hastert admitted to committing those acts while coaching wrestling students between 1960 and 1980. The investigating judge in his case went so far as to describe him as a "serial child molester."

The former speaker of the House of Representatives could not be convicted of those crimes, as the statute of limitations had expired. He was, however, sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for violating banking laws.

He was succeeded in office by Nancy Pelosi.