John Dennis Hastert (/ˈhæstərt/) is an American politician and convicted felon who served as the 51st Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, representing Illinois's 14th congressional district from 1987 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history, and is the highest-ranking politician in U.S. history to have served a prison sentence.
