North Central College Revokes Dennis Hastert's Honorary Degree

The bad news just keeps coming for Dennis Hastert, although this latest round probably doesn't compare to being sentenced to 15 months in prison.

North Central College in Naperville has revoked the honorary degree he received in 2004 when he delivered the commencement speech to the 139th graduating class, according to the Chicago Tribune.

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Hastert went from being known as the county's longest-serving U.S. speaker of the house to a serial child molester when he was indicted for structuring financial withdrawals in order to evade currency reports and lying to the FBI. Hastert was withdrawing money in order to pay $3.5 million in hush money to a person known only as Individual A, who Hastert sexually abused during his time as a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School.

Just last month Northern Illinois University also revoked an honorary degree bestowed upon Hastert.

But that's not all the bad news Hastert has faced. State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant recently filed legislation to strip Hastert of his General Assembly Retirement System pension. 

“The taxpayers shouldn’t be paying retirement benefits for a child predator who has abused the public trust,” she said. 

However, the General Assembly Retirement System has failed to get rid of Hastert’s state lawmaker pension. The agency has suggested reducing it from $28,000 to $9,000, but Bertino-Tarrant says that’s not enough.

“I am going to continue to pursue the removal of Hastert’s GARS pension- any amount is too much,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “He confessed to molesting children. His pensions need to be eliminated. Period.”

Under legislation Bertino-Tarrant has  introduced, Senate Bill 442, a member could lose their pension at any time if they commit a felony against a student or other victim.