Dennis Hastert, the former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has passed away at the age of 84. Hastert was a powerful political figure whose legacy was marred by admissions of sexual abuse and subsequent legal issues, including a prison sentence related to a hush-money scandal. He remains notable as the highest-ranking U.S. official to serve time in prison. Hastert was pronounced dead of natural causes at his home in Plano, Illinois. His career, once marked by significant legislative accomplishments, will now largely be remembered for the controversies that ultimately led to his downfall.