Dennis Hastert
Encyclopedia
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert (ˈhæstərt; born January 2, 1942) was the 59th Speaker of the House
serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican
for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.
He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history. Hastert was reelected to an eleventh term in Congress in the 2006 general election, however, the Republican Party lost its majority in the House and Hastert did not seek a leadership position in the 110th Congress. Instead, he resigned his seat mid-session. Hastert endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney
for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination before Romney withdrew from the race. He endorsed Romney again for the 2012 nomination.
, the eldest of three sons of Naomi (née Nussle) and Jack Hastert, and grew up in Oswego, Illinois
. His father was of Luxembourgian
and Norwegian descent and his mother was of German ancestry. As a young man he worked in the Plainfield, Illinois
, family restaurant "The Clock Tower" as a fry cook. He briefly attended North Central College
but graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, in 1964, and earned a master's degree in History of Philosophy from Northern Illinois University
, in 1967. Although Hastert was high school "football and wrestling star" and a wrestler at Wheaton College in the 1960s, he was later injured, and as a result never served in Vietnam. After a stint teaching English in Osaka
, Japan, he moved to Yorkville
in 1964, 55 miles (89 km) west of Chicago, and took a job as a sociology, economics, and speech teacher at Yorkville High School
from 1964 to 1980. He also coached wrestling
and football
, leading the wrestling team to a state title in 1976. His family owns the locally famous fried chicken restaurant, "The White Fence Farm," in Bolingbrook, Ill.
and served three terms, becoming the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee.
, the Congressman from Illinois's 14th congressional district, was undergoing cancer treatment at NIH and experienced a coma that lasted five weeks. Grotberg started rehabilitation as he came out of the coma, but by June was still not well enough to run for office and withdrew his name from the ballot. (He died on November 15). As this was an unprecedented situation, the twelve county chairmen would seek legal guidance on the correct procedure to choose his successor.
WLBK/DeKalb's Program Director Mark Powell, 26, waged a protest campaign on local radio complaining that the GOP leadership planned to "hand pick" Hastert as successor without popular approval, and that Hastert did not live in the congressional district until the nomination.
Hastert was nominated by the Republican congressional district convention held at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, Illinois. This convention was attended by all precinct committee members from within the represented district. Each was assigned a weighted vote based upon the total number of Republican ballots cast in their respective precincts in the most recent primary election. Dr. Richard Verbic, Mayor of Elgin, Illinois, was the only other candidate to be nominated that day. (Mayor Verbic had been defeated by Grotberg in the 1984 GOP primary.)
After long hours of voting, it became clear that the majority of votes were going toward Hastert. A motion was made to suspend voting and to nominate Hastert. The convention acclaimed Denny Hastert its nominee.
The nomination was not without controversy. Hastert's detractors complained that Grotberg's condition had been distorted and Mayor Verbic had been smeared for his age. This controversy dogged Hastert through the general election, which would be his closest race for Congress. Hastert faced Democrat Mary Lou Kearns, the coroner
of Kane County
. Hastert ran a typical GOP campaign in a strongly Republican district and received 52 percent of the vote. On February 2, 2010 Hastert's son Ethan lost a bid for the GOP nomination.
After that, he never faced another election nearly that close, especially after redistricting in the 1990s made the district even more Republican.
During his first twelve years in Congress, Hastert generally kept a low profile. However, he worked closely with Illinois Republican leaders, especially Minority Leader Robert Michel. After the Republicans took control of the House in 1994, Hastert was named Chief Deputy Whip, the highest appointed position in the House Republican caucus. In this position, he was chief vote-counter for then-Majority Whip Tom DeLay
.
of Georgia
stood down for the Speakership and declined to take his seat for an 11th term. The initial Republican prospect for Gingrich's replacement was Bob Livingston
of Louisiana
, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who was unanimously chosen as the Republican candidate for Speaker—and de facto Speaker-elect. However, soon thereafter, Hustler
magazine detailed sexual affairs Livingston had in the past while seemingly hypocritically attacking President Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky scandal; Livingston announced he wouldn't seek the Speakership and resigned from Congress, calling on Clinton to follow his lead and resign as well.
With Livingston's departure, the leading candidates for Speaker appeared to be DeLay and House Majority Leader Dick Armey
, both of Texas. However, Armey had just fended off a bruising challenge to his majority leader's post from Steve Largent
of Oklahoma
.
This seemed to open the door for DeLay. However, DeLay was a controversial figure and felt that he would be "too nuclear" to lead a closely divided House. The Republican caucus then turned to Hastert as a compromise candidate. He had very good relationships with moderate and conservative Republicans, as well as Democrats. Hastert was then unanimously elected as the Republican candidate for Speaker, all but assuring his formal election as Speaker on January 6, 1999.
of Missouri
to preside briefly. Hastert pledged to work for bipartisanship, saying: "Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. They can be found in an environment in which we trust one another's word; where we generate heat and passion, but where we recognize that each member is equally important to our overall mission of improving the life of the American people." In November 2004, however, Hastert instituted his "majority of the majority" policy, allowing the House to vote only on bills supported by the majority of its Republican members. His policy agenda focused on taxes, education, Social Security
, Medicare
, and national defense
.
Although by tradition, Hastert was the leader of the House Republicans, he adopted a much lower profile in the media than conventional wisdom would suggest for a Speaker. This led to accusations that he was only a figurehead
for DeLay. Still, in the months after the September 11 attacks, he met regularly with President
George W. Bush
, Vice President Dick Cheney
, the two Senate leaders and the House minority leader to shape the national response.
As Speaker, Hastert traditionally did not serve on any committee. He usually did not participate in debate (though he had the right to do so) and almost never voted on the floor.
Hastert has been a prominent advocate of the FairTax
proposal to replace the income tax with a national sales tax
. He has been a strong supporter of all of the Bush administration
's foreign and domestic policies.
On October 27, 2005, Hastert became the first Speaker of the House to author a blog on his website called, the "Speaker's Journal." In his first post, he wrote, "This is Denny Hastert and welcome to my blog. This is new to me. I can’t say I’m much of a techie. I guess you could say my office is teaching the old guy new tricks. But I’m excited. This is the future. And it is a new way for us to get our message out."
On June 1, 2006, Hastert became the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history, surpassing the record previously held by fellow Illinoisan Joe Cannon
, who held the post from November 1903 to March 1911.
) would be his last. On June 1, 2007, State Senator Chris Lauzen
declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination from Hastert's district. On July 2007, three-time statewide candidate Jim Oberweis also declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination from Hastert's district. The next month, Geneva
mayor Kevin Burns
became the third Republican candidate in the race to succeed Hastert.
On Aug. 10, 2007, Hastert's office sent letters to his supporters stating that he would announce whether he would be running for another term as congressman of the 14th district. The press conference was set to take place at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville, Illinois
on August 17 at 10 am According to sources, Hastert usually announced his intention to run by sending out a press release. On August 14, 2007, a blog reported that Hastert was planning to retire from politics at the end of his term.
On October 17, 2007, the political newspaper Roll Call
announced that Hastert would resign from the House before the end of 2007. He gave a farewell speech on the House Floor on November 15, 2007, which was followed by remarks from Speaker Pelosi.
Finally, on November 26, 2007, Hastert submitted his resignation, effective at 11:59 pm that day, to Illinois Governor
Rod Blagojevich
, explaining that the timing allowed the governor to set the primary for the special election
to fill out the remainder of his term on February 5, 2008, the same day as the primary for the November general election. Gov. Blagojevich, however, chose to name a special and separate election on Saturday, March 8, 2008 for this remainder of Hastert's term. This created great controversy as the expense to the county election services involved was construed by many as being of Hastert's making, when he had purposefully resigned with adequate time to have his position filled by special ballot on the day of the regular Illinois primary on February 5. Ultimately, the special election was held on March 8, 2008 and the Democratic candidate, Bill Foster
, prevailed over the Republican candidate, Jim Oberweis.
As ex-speaker, Hastert has spent more than $1 million on his office space and staff from 2008 to 2010. Each month, taxpayers provide $40,000 worth of office space, cell phones, staff, and an SUV for Hastert, who currently works as a lobbyist for private corporations and foreign governments. According to the Chicago Tribune
:
In 2010 he received a Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) from the government of Japan.
"Though Hastert is no longer in office, he keeps a hand in GOP politics. According to Federal Election Commission
records, his political action committee
had $380,707 in cash at the end of 2009. The PAC gave a $10,000 contribution to his son, Ethan Hastert, 31, for his recent unsuccessful bid for Dennis Hastert's old congressional seat."
, a biotech company, to Lockheed Martin
, a defense contractor, provoking criticism from Congress Watch
: "There definitely should be restrictions [on family members registering as lobbyists] ... This is family members cashing in on connections ... [and it] is an ideal opportunity for special interest groups to exploit family relationships for personal gain." Joshua rejoined that he does not lobby House Republican leaders.
His son Ethan ran in 2010 as a Republican for his father's old seat, Illinois' 14th Congressional District, but in the February 2 primary was defeated by Illinois State Senator Randy Hultgren
. In 2011 he won a seat on the village board of Elburn, IL.
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.
He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history. Hastert was reelected to an eleventh term in Congress in the 2006 general election, however, the Republican Party lost its majority in the House and Hastert did not seek a leadership position in the 110th Congress. Instead, he resigned his seat mid-session. Hastert endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination before Romney withdrew from the race. He endorsed Romney again for the 2012 nomination.
Early life
Hastert was born in Aurora, IllinoisAurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
, the eldest of three sons of Naomi (née Nussle) and Jack Hastert, and grew up in Oswego, Illinois
Oswego, Illinois
Oswego is a village in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 30,355. Its population has more than doubled since the 2000 census count of 13,326...
. His father was of Luxembourgian
Luxembourgers
Luxembourgers are an ethnic group native to Luxembourg sharing Luxembourgian culture and being of Luxembourgian descent.-Location:Most ethnic Luxembourgers live in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, a small country located in Europe between Germany, France and Belgium and are a mixture of Latin and...
and Norwegian descent and his mother was of German ancestry. As a young man he worked in the Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 special census, the population is 37,334.The Village includes land in Plainfield and Wheatland townships. Part of Plainfield is located in Kendall County...
, family restaurant "The Clock Tower" as a fry cook. He briefly attended North Central College
North Central College
North Central College is a leading liberal arts college providing students at different stages of life and from different ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds with comprehensive educational programs.-Academics:...
but graduated from Wheaton College, Illinois, in 1964, and earned a master's degree in History of Philosophy from Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
, in 1967. Although Hastert was high school "football and wrestling star" and a wrestler at Wheaton College in the 1960s, he was later injured, and as a result never served in Vietnam. After a stint teaching English in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, he moved to Yorkville
Yorkville, Illinois
Yorkville is a city located in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,189 at the 2000 United States Census and is estimated to be 16,505, . It is the county seat of Kendall County...
in 1964, 55 miles (89 km) west of Chicago, and took a job as a sociology, economics, and speech teacher at Yorkville High School
Yorkville High School
Yorkville High School, or YHS, is a public four-year high school located in Yorkville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Yorkville Community Unit School District 115.-History:...
from 1964 to 1980. He also coached wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, leading the wrestling team to a state title in 1976. His family owns the locally famous fried chicken restaurant, "The White Fence Farm," in Bolingbrook, Ill.
Illinois House of Representatives
In 1980, he was elected to the Illinois House of RepresentativesIllinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
and served three terms, becoming the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee.
Election to Congress and early congressional career
In January, 1986, John GrotbergJohn E. Grotberg
John E. Grotberg was a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois....
, the Congressman from Illinois's 14th congressional district, was undergoing cancer treatment at NIH and experienced a coma that lasted five weeks. Grotberg started rehabilitation as he came out of the coma, but by June was still not well enough to run for office and withdrew his name from the ballot. (He died on November 15). As this was an unprecedented situation, the twelve county chairmen would seek legal guidance on the correct procedure to choose his successor.
WLBK/DeKalb's Program Director Mark Powell, 26, waged a protest campaign on local radio complaining that the GOP leadership planned to "hand pick" Hastert as successor without popular approval, and that Hastert did not live in the congressional district until the nomination.
Hastert was nominated by the Republican congressional district convention held at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, Illinois. This convention was attended by all precinct committee members from within the represented district. Each was assigned a weighted vote based upon the total number of Republican ballots cast in their respective precincts in the most recent primary election. Dr. Richard Verbic, Mayor of Elgin, Illinois, was the only other candidate to be nominated that day. (Mayor Verbic had been defeated by Grotberg in the 1984 GOP primary.)
After long hours of voting, it became clear that the majority of votes were going toward Hastert. A motion was made to suspend voting and to nominate Hastert. The convention acclaimed Denny Hastert its nominee.
The nomination was not without controversy. Hastert's detractors complained that Grotberg's condition had been distorted and Mayor Verbic had been smeared for his age. This controversy dogged Hastert through the general election, which would be his closest race for Congress. Hastert faced Democrat Mary Lou Kearns, the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
of Kane County
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
. Hastert ran a typical GOP campaign in a strongly Republican district and received 52 percent of the vote. On February 2, 2010 Hastert's son Ethan lost a bid for the GOP nomination.
After that, he never faced another election nearly that close, especially after redistricting in the 1990s made the district even more Republican.
During his first twelve years in Congress, Hastert generally kept a low profile. However, he worked closely with Illinois Republican leaders, especially Minority Leader Robert Michel. After the Republicans took control of the House in 1994, Hastert was named Chief Deputy Whip, the highest appointed position in the House Republican caucus. In this position, he was chief vote-counter for then-Majority Whip Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
.
Speaker of the House
Election as Speaker
In the aftermath of the 1998 midterm elections, House Speaker Newt GingrichNewt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
stood down for the Speakership and declined to take his seat for an 11th term. The initial Republican prospect for Gingrich's replacement was Bob Livingston
Bob Livingston
Robert Linlithgow "Bob" Livingston Jr. is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist and a former Republican U.S. Representative from Louisiana...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who was unanimously chosen as the Republican candidate for Speaker—and de facto Speaker-elect. However, soon thereafter, Hustler
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
magazine detailed sexual affairs Livingston had in the past while seemingly hypocritically attacking President Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky scandal; Livingston announced he wouldn't seek the Speakership and resigned from Congress, calling on Clinton to follow his lead and resign as well.
With Livingston's departure, the leading candidates for Speaker appeared to be DeLay and House Majority Leader Dick Armey
Dick Armey
Richard Keith "Dick" Armey is a former U.S. Representative from Texas's and House Majority Leader . He was one of the engineers of the "Republican Revolution" of the 1990s, in which Republicans were elected to majorities of both houses of Congress for the first time in four decades. Armey was...
, both of Texas. However, Armey had just fended off a bruising challenge to his majority leader's post from Steve Largent
Steve Largent
Steven Michael "Steve" Largent is a retired American football player, enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a former U.S. Congressman, having served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma from 1994 until 2002...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
This seemed to open the door for DeLay. However, DeLay was a controversial figure and felt that he would be "too nuclear" to lead a closely divided House. The Republican caucus then turned to Hastert as a compromise candidate. He had very good relationships with moderate and conservative Republicans, as well as Democrats. Hastert was then unanimously elected as the Republican candidate for Speaker, all but assuring his formal election as Speaker on January 6, 1999.
Tenure as speaker
In accepting the position, Hastert broke with tradition by delivering his acceptance speech from the floor, and by allowing House Minority Leader Dick GephardtDick Gephardt
Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt is a lobbyist and former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Gephardt served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005, serving as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and as Minority Leader from 1995 to...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
to preside briefly. Hastert pledged to work for bipartisanship, saying: "Solutions to problems cannot be found in a pool of bitterness. They can be found in an environment in which we trust one another's word; where we generate heat and passion, but where we recognize that each member is equally important to our overall mission of improving the life of the American people." In November 2004, however, Hastert instituted his "majority of the majority" policy, allowing the House to vote only on bills supported by the majority of its Republican members. His policy agenda focused on taxes, education, Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
, Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
, and national defense
Defense (military)
Defense has several uses in the sphere of military application.Personal defense implies measures taken by individual soldiers in protecting themselves whether by use of protective materials such as armor, or field construction of trenches or a bunker, or by using weapons that prevent the enemy...
.
Although by tradition, Hastert was the leader of the House Republicans, he adopted a much lower profile in the media than conventional wisdom would suggest for a Speaker. This led to accusations that he was only a figurehead
Figurehead
A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
for DeLay. Still, in the months after the September 11 attacks, he met regularly with President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, the two Senate leaders and the House minority leader to shape the national response.
Hastert has been a prominent advocate of the FairTax
FairTax
The FairTax is a tax reform proposal for the federal government of the United States that would replace all federal taxes on personal and corporate income with a single broad national consumption tax on retail sales. The Fair Tax Act would apply a tax once at the point of purchase on all new goods...
proposal to replace the income tax with a national sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
. He has been a strong supporter of all of the Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
's foreign and domestic policies.
On October 27, 2005, Hastert became the first Speaker of the House to author a blog on his website called, the "Speaker's Journal." In his first post, he wrote, "This is Denny Hastert and welcome to my blog. This is new to me. I can’t say I’m much of a techie. I guess you could say my office is teaching the old guy new tricks. But I’m excited. This is the future. And it is a new way for us to get our message out."
On June 1, 2006, Hastert became the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history, surpassing the record previously held by fellow Illinoisan Joe Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon
Joseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...
, who held the post from November 1903 to March 1911.
Post-Speakership career
Hastert was reelected to his seat by a margin of 59.75 percent vs. 40.25 percent in the 2006 election, but that year the Republicans lost control, and soon after, Hastert announced he would not run for the post of Minority leader. He had long made it known that the 2007–09 term (110th Congress110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
) would be his last. On June 1, 2007, State Senator Chris Lauzen
Chris Lauzen
Christopher J. Lauzen is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992, has been re-elected to the State Senate in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010, and ran for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and Congress in 2008...
declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination from Hastert's district. On July 2007, three-time statewide candidate Jim Oberweis also declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination from Hastert's district. The next month, Geneva
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
mayor Kevin Burns
Kevin Burns (Mayor)
Kevin Burns Kevin Burns Kevin Burns (born August 26, 1964 in Arlington Heights, Illinois is the current mayor of Geneva, Illinois.-Early life:Burns was born to John and Ann Burns in Arlington Heights...
became the third Republican candidate in the race to succeed Hastert.
On Aug. 10, 2007, Hastert's office sent letters to his supporters stating that he would announce whether he would be running for another term as congressman of the 14th district. The press conference was set to take place at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville, Illinois
Yorkville, Illinois
Yorkville is a city located in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,189 at the 2000 United States Census and is estimated to be 16,505, . It is the county seat of Kendall County...
on August 17 at 10 am According to sources, Hastert usually announced his intention to run by sending out a press release. On August 14, 2007, a blog reported that Hastert was planning to retire from politics at the end of his term.
On October 17, 2007, the political newspaper Roll Call
Roll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
announced that Hastert would resign from the House before the end of 2007. He gave a farewell speech on the House Floor on November 15, 2007, which was followed by remarks from Speaker Pelosi.
Finally, on November 26, 2007, Hastert submitted his resignation, effective at 11:59 pm that day, to Illinois Governor
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
, explaining that the timing allowed the governor to set the primary for the special election
Illinois's 14th congressional district special election, 2008
After the resignation of Republican Party United States Congressman Dennis Hastert from his Illinois's 14th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives on November 26, 2007, a special election was held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 110th United States...
to fill out the remainder of his term on February 5, 2008, the same day as the primary for the November general election. Gov. Blagojevich, however, chose to name a special and separate election on Saturday, March 8, 2008 for this remainder of Hastert's term. This created great controversy as the expense to the county election services involved was construed by many as being of Hastert's making, when he had purposefully resigned with adequate time to have his position filled by special ballot on the day of the regular Illinois primary on February 5. Ultimately, the special election was held on March 8, 2008 and the Democratic candidate, Bill Foster
Bill Foster (Illinois politician)
George William "Bill" Foster is a physicist and businessman, and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2008 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
, prevailed over the Republican candidate, Jim Oberweis.
As ex-speaker, Hastert has spent more than $1 million on his office space and staff from 2008 to 2010. Each month, taxpayers provide $40,000 worth of office space, cell phones, staff, and an SUV for Hastert, who currently works as a lobbyist for private corporations and foreign governments. According to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
:
Hastert, 68, a lobbyist and business consultant who retired from Congress in 2007, has hired three of his former staffers at salaries of more than $100,000 apiece to run the publicly financed office.
Taxpayers also are paying monthly rent of $6,300 to a company partly owned by three sons of a Hastert mentor and business partner. Other public funds go for an $860-a-month 2008 GMC Yukon leased from a dealership owned by a Hastert friend and campaign donor. . . .
Public funds also go for the office's computers, phones, BlackBerrys, utilities including Comcast and DirecTV, and incidentals such as FedEx bills and a $618 invoice for moving a wall clock from Washington.
Travel, too, is on the public dime: airfare, hotels, taxis, tolls, gas, parking and mileage reimbursement for use of private vehicles. According to Hahn, two of the staffers used taxpayer funds to travel with Hastert to Washington last year when a portrait of him was unveiled on Capitol Hill.
In 2010 he received a Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (1st class) from the government of Japan.
"Though Hastert is no longer in office, he keeps a hand in GOP politics. According to Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
records, his political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
had $380,707 in cash at the end of 2009. The PAC gave a $10,000 contribution to his son, Ethan Hastert, 31, for his recent unsuccessful bid for Dennis Hastert's old congressional seat."
Illinois House of Representatives: 39th district
- 1980 election (top three candidates elected)
- Suzanne L. Deuchler (R), 34.87%
- Dennis Hastert (R), 29.06%
- Lawrence Murphy (D), 21.81%
- Dwain Givens (D), 14.26%
Illinois House of Representatives: 82nd district
- 1982 election
- Dennis Hastert (R), 67.84%
- James E. McCauley (D), 32.16%
- 1984 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 100.0%
U.S. House of Representatives: Illinois's 14th district
- 1986 election
- Dennis Hastert (R), 52.36%
- Mary Lou Kearns (D), 47.64%
- 1988 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 73.70%
- Stephen Youhanaie (D), 26.30%
- 1990 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 66.90%
- Donald Westphal (D), 33.10%
- 1992 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 67.32%
- Jonathan Reich (D), 32.64%
- Yvonne Dinwiddle (write-in), 0.02%
- 1994 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 76.48%
- Steve Denari (D), 23.52%
- 1996 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 64.39%
- Doug Mains (D), 35.60%
- 1998 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 69.77%
- Robert A. Cozzi, Jr. (D), 30.23%
- 2000 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 73.99%
- Vernon DelJohnson (D), 26.01%
- 2002 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 74.14%
- Lawrence Quick (D), 25.86%
- 2004 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 68.63%
- Ruben Zamora (D), 31.37%
- 2006 election
- Dennis Hastert (R) (inc.), 59.79%
- Jonathan Laesch (D), 40.21%
Children
Hastert's oldest son, Joshua, is a lobbyist for the firm PodestaMattoon. He has lobbied for clients ranging from AmgenAmgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
, a biotech company, to Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, a defense contractor, provoking criticism from Congress Watch
Congress Watch
Congress Watch is a division of Public Citizen that champions consumer interests before the U.S. Congress and serves as a government watchdog. They engage in public education and advocacy, and are focused on the following:...
: "There definitely should be restrictions [on family members registering as lobbyists] ... This is family members cashing in on connections ... [and it] is an ideal opportunity for special interest groups to exploit family relationships for personal gain." Joshua rejoined that he does not lobby House Republican leaders.
His son Ethan ran in 2010 as a Republican for his father's old seat, Illinois' 14th Congressional District, but in the February 2 primary was defeated by Illinois State Senator Randy Hultgren
Randy Hultgren
Randall Mark "Randy" Hultgren is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.Hultgren previously represented the 48th district Senate seat in the Illinois General Assembly from 2007 - 2011...
. In 2011 he won a seat on the village board of Elburn, IL.
See also
- Order of the Oak CrownOrder of the Oak CrownThe Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
- Scott PalmerScott PalmerScott B. Palmer was the chief of staff to United States Representative Dennis Hastert , the former Speaker of the House in the U.S. House of Representatives....
- Ted Van Der MeidTed Van Der MeidTheodore J. Van Der Meid , was Counsel/Director of Floor Operations, Office of the Speaker, serving Speaker Dennis Hastert in the United States Congress...
- Luxembourg-American
- David Holt (politician)David Holt (politician)David Holt is an American politician who serves as Oklahoma State Senator from the 30th district, which includes portions of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, The Village, Oklahoma, Bethany, Oklahoma, and Warr Acres, Oklahoma.-Personal life:...
Quotes
Further reading
- "How Hastert benefited from sale: Planned highway could sweeten asset near Plano", Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, June 18, 2006 - Mike Dorning, James Kimberly and Ray Gibson, "Hastert's wealth is grounded in land: Booming suburbs yield bounty for longtime real estate investor", Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, July 6, 2006
External links
- SourceWatch Congresspedia – Dennis Hastert profile
- NewsMeat list of contributors to Hastert's campaigns
- Beyond DeLay – Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in WashingtonCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is a nonprofit 501 organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to...
- OpenlineBlog.com political blog covering 14th Congressional District