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Hastert resigns from Wheaton College panel

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has stepped down from the board of a center he helped create at Wheaton College, his alma mater.

The Christian school announced Friday it had received and accepted Hastert's resignation from the board of the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government, and Public Policy. The announcement came a day after Hastert was indicted on charges of lying to the FBI and with structuring cash withdrawals to avoid complying with bank reporting requirements.

"The college respects Mr. Hastert's distinguished public service record and the due process being afforded him pursuant to the charges that have been filed against him," the school said in a statement.

Hastert earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Wheaton College in 1964. After his resignation from Congress in 2007, Hastert turned over his congressional papers to the school and helped establish the center.

School officials said the center was established to pursue goals compatible with the mission of the college.

"Specifically, the mission statement of the center is 'to advance the training of Wheaton College students and the greater community in the understanding of market economies, representative democracies, limited government, and the redeeming effects of the Christian worldview on the practice of business, government and politics,'" the statement reads.

"The center will continue to serve these purposes in conformity with the highest ethical and academic standards of excellence and integrity, in conformity with our institution's identity," the statement says.

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