BREAKING: Former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert dead at 84

Dennis Hastert, who was the longest-serving GOP House Speaker in the House of Representatives, has died at the age of 84.

According to Kendall County Coroner Jacquie Purcell, Hastert died peacefully of natural causes at his home. He represented Illinois' 14th Congressional district for 20 years and retired at 2007.

His record in Congress was later tarnished by a conviction of bank fraud linked to him when he was accused by a former student of sexual abuse when he was a wrestling coach. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He also underwent sex offender treatment and paid a fine of $250,000. He pleaded guilty for an attempt to pay of the unnamed student to keep the sexual assault allegations under wraps.

Prosecutors in the case had alleged that Hastert had molested at least four boys as young a 14 years old. He faced no sexual abuse charges at the time of his sentencing.

Hastert was born in Kane County, Illinois in 1942 and attended Wheaton College and then earned a master's degree from Northern Illinois University. He worked as a high school teacher as well as an athletic coach at Yorkville High School, where the case originally stemmed.

He later won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1980 and then served there until 1986. In 1987, he won a US House seat and then served until 2007. He replaced House Speaker Newt Gingrich and led the House during the aftermath of 9/11 and most of George W. Bush's administration.

He is survived by his wife, Jean, as well as their two sons.