Newt Gingrich: How do they FIND these people?

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich suggests that the Democratic Party has lost its way as we approach the midterm elections, raising questions about how some of its candidates are chosen.

The Purcell County Coroner’s office in Illinois has announced that former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, died at home from natural causes.

This information was shared in a brief statement on the coroner’s website early Monday.

Hastert was 84 years old and had a complicated legacy in American politics.

He was the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House, holding the position from 1999 to 2007. Unfortunately, his political career was marred by one of the most publicized falls from grace, marking him as the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to serve time in prison.

The scandal associated with Hastert came to light after his departure from Congress but traces back to his time as a high school history teacher and wrestling coach during the 1960s and 70s. Hastert admitted in 2015 to having sexually abused teenage students and athletes as young as 14, long before he started his congressional career in the mid-’80s.

Interestingly, Hastert was somewhat of an unintended Speaker.

He was the Chief Deputy Whip in the Republican hierarchy when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich chose to resign in late 1998 amid controversy. Some Republicans believed Gingrich had overstretched his reach with his push to impeach President Clinton, and with the party’s near loss of control in the House during the 1998 elections, it led to his exit.

The Republican party initially aimed to appoint Bob Livingston, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, to take over as Speaker in 1999.

However, shortly before the House voted on Clinton’s impeachment, revelations of Livingston’s inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist emerged. He decided to step aside, leading to Hastert’s unexpected selection as Speaker that evening.

During his time in office, Hastert faced criticism for not acting decisively to safeguard teenage House pages after former Representative Mark Foley sent inappropriate messages to them. This scandal resulted in the termination of the House page program, which had existed since the early days of the republic.

Hastert lost his position when Democrats took control of the House following the 2006 midterms and eventually resigned from Congress later that year.

Despite being a significant figure, Hastert avoided media attention and preferred to remain out of the spotlight.

Colleagues referred to him as “Coach” due to his wrestling history, and he often claimed to be more of a “listener” than a “speaker.”

However, in 2015, Hastert’s career faced a dark chapter.

Federal banking regulators had flagged unusually large cash withdrawals he made at odd intervals, which raised suspicions of possible blackmail against him.

It was then revealed that he was paying considerable sums in hush money to a victim he had abused years earlier.

During his legal proceedings for banking violations, Hastert admitted to previously mistreating athletes, and a judge labeled him “a serial child molester.”

Hastert served 13 months of a 15-month sentence for his banking crimes but never faced legal consequences for the sexual abuse.

He is also known for establishing the “Hastert Rule,” which dictated that no legislation could be brought to a vote unless it had majority support from House Republicans. This practice remained in use by House GOP members for years afterward, although the term lost its relevance following Hastert’s conviction and the subsequent revelations about his past.