Dennis Hastert Center at Wheaton College Gets New Name

Photo Credit: The Hastert Center at Wheaton College Facebook page

It’s been a bad week for Dennis Hastert.

Hastert, the longest-serving Republican U.S. Speaker of the House in American history and one of Illinois’ most respected political figures in recent memory, was indicted Thursday and accused of evading federal banking regulations and lying to the FBI about his bank withdrawals.

The Chicago Tribune has since reported the money was used to pay off an individual to conceal information that was sexual in nature and dates back to his time as a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkville.

• Sexual Misconduct Allegations Behind Ex-Speaker’s ‘Hush Money’ Payoffs: Feds

Then, over the weekend, his alma mater, Wheaton College announced it would be removing Hastert’s name from the former J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy at Wheaton College. The center will now be called Wheaton College Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy.

“We commit ourselves to pray for all involved, including Speaker Hastert, his family, and those who may have been harmed by any inappropriate behavior, and to continue the work and mission of the Wheaton College Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy,” according to an press release Sunday from the suburban Christian college.

Hastert graduated from Wheaton College in 1964 with his degree in economics, the Chicago Tribune reports.

On Friday, Hastert resigned as a member of the Board of Advisors for the college’s Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy, according to the news release.

The center at Wheaton College was named after Hastert over seven years ago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As of Monday morning, Hastert’s name had been removed from the Wheaton College website for the newly-renamed Wheaton College Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy.

Read more on this story in the Chicago Tribune article