Wheaton College Removes Alum Dennis Hastert's Name From Center
J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy renamed.
-- Dennis Hastert's Illinois alma mater has removed his name from a center titled in his honor, after the former U.S. House speaker was indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI and trying to cover up past "misconduct."
Wheaton College released a statement today saying, "It is with sadness and shock that the Wheaton College community learned of the indictment by the U.S. Department of Justice of alumnus and former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives J. Dennis Hastert, and of his resignation from the Board of Advisors of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy at Wheaton College.
"In light of the charges and allegations that have emerged, the College has re-designated the Center as the Wheaton College Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy at this time," the statement said.
Hastert, 73, graduated from the school in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in economics, according to the Chicago Tribune. He has also reportedly resigned from the center's board.
A man identified as Individual A in an indictment of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was a student at the school where Hastert worked at the time the alleged "misconduct" against the individual took place, according to a source familiar with the case.
In addition, sources say, there is a second individual who was allegedly victimized in a similar way by Hastert when he was a student. According to sources familiar with the investigation, this person neither asked for nor received any money from Hastert, as Individual A is alleged to have done.