Ryan Removes Portrait of Former Speaker From House Chamber

danjoseph | November 3, 2015
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Newly minted Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has removed a portrait of former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) from the House Chamber known as the "Speaker's Lobby."  

The move comes after Hastert pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about shady bank transfers in a case that sources say involved an attempt to cover up a sex scandal involving a former student while Hastert was the coach of a high school wrestling team. 

According to a Ryan spokesperson, "The speaker believed it was appropriate to rotate in a different portrait," and has replaced the portrait with one of Speaker Frederick Gillett of Massachusetts, who served from 1919 to 1925.

Hastert was speaker from 1999 to 2007. Earlier this year, Hastert pleaded guilty to hiding money transactions after he was charged with providing false statements to federal investigations in a case in which he alleged he paid a former student to stay quiet about allegations of sexual abuse while he was a wrestling coach and a teacher in Yorkville, Ill.

While Hastert's portrait hasn't been removed entirely from Capitol Hill, his portrait has been rotated out to join 27 other portraits of former speakers in corridors around the lobby.

Every speaker since 1910 has had a portrait made, the most recent of which hang in the lobby outside of the House Chamber. 

 

 
 
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