Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert dies at 84
publishers 53articles 54first reported 5 Oct, 12:49 UTCdeveloping since 5 Oct · 9 editions
Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker of the U.S. House and a former Illinois congressman whose career was later overshadowed by a criminal case tied to sexual abuse, died Saturday at his home. He was 84.
Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell said Hastert died of natural causes while receiving hospice care. Hastert represented Illinois in Congress from 1987 to 2007 and served as speaker from 1999 until Democrats took control of the House in 2007.
A former teacher and wrestling coach, Hastert rose through Republican leadership and succeeded Newt Gingrich as speaker. During President George W. Bush’s administration, he helped advance tax cuts and legislation expanding Medicare prescription drug benefits.
Hastert’s public standing collapsed after he was indicted in 2015 for structuring bank withdrawals to evade reporting requirements and lying to the FBI. The transactions were connected to hush-money payments intended to conceal his sexual abuse of teenage boys while he coached wrestling at Yorkville High School in Illinois. Prosecutors said the statute of limitations prevented sexual-abuse charges.
Hastert pleaded guilty to the banking offense and was sentenced in 2016 to 15 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, he apologized for mistreating athletes he had coached, and U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin described him as a “serial child molester.” Hastert was released from a prison hospital in 2017.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 53
- Source articles
- 54
- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: One unsupported policy claim can be fixed by deleting the Iraq War reference while leaving the sourced account intact. - "During President George W. Bush’s administration, he helped advance tax cuts, the Iraq War and legislation expanding Medicare prescription drug benefits.": The sources say Hastert supported or championed the Iraq War and helped pass tax cuts and Medicare prescription drug legislation, but they do not say he helped advance the Iraq War itself.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert dies at 84
Dennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican speaker of the U.S. House and a former Illinois congressman whose career was later overshadowed by a criminal case tied to sexual abuse, died Saturday at his home. He was 84.
Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell said Hastert died of natural causes while receiving hospice care. Hastert represented Illinois in Congress from 1987 to 2007 and served as speaker from 1999 until Democrats took control of the House in 2007.
A former teacher and wrestling coach, Hastert rose through Republican leadership and succeeded Newt Gingrich as speaker. During President George W. Bush’s administration, he helped advance tax cuts, the Iraq Warcuts and legislation expanding Medicare prescription drug benefits.
Hastert’s public standing collapsed after he was indicted in 2015 for structuring bank withdrawals to evade reporting requirements and lying to the FBI. The transactions were connected to hush-money payments intended to conceal his sexual abuse of teenage boys while he coached wrestling at Yorkville High School in Illinois. Prosecutors said the statute of limitations prevented sexual-abuse charges.
Hastert pleaded guilty to the banking offense and was sentenced in 2016 to 15 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. At sentencing, he apologized for mistreating athletes he had coached, and U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin described him as a “serial child molester.” Hastert was released from a prison hospital in 2017.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →