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 The organization's board of governors unanimously voted for the
revocation after an ethics committee found Hastert's actions to be
"detrimental to the ideals and objectives" of the Wrestling Hall of
Fame, according to a statement on its website.
Lee Roy Smith, the body's executive director, said in the statement
the board wanted to wait until Hastert's criminal case was over
before making a decision.
Hastert, 74, once one of the most powerful U.S. conservative
politicians, was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 months in federal
prison for a financial crime related to sexual abuse of high school
wrestlers he coached decades ago.
 Hastert pleaded guilty last October to the crime of structuring,
which involves withdrawing a large sum of money in small increments
to avoid detection. While he was not charged with sex abuse because
of the statute of limitations, he admitted to the judge at his
sentencing hearing that he had sexually abused teenagers.
The abuse occurred while Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach
in his hometown of Yorkville in the 1960s and 1970s. He later
reached a secret agreement with one of the victims to pay him $3.5
million in compensation for pain and suffering.
The Yorkville High School wrestlers were state champions during his
tenure as coach.
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The Stillwater, Oklahoma-based Hall of Fame said it revoked its
Order of Merit and Outstanding American awards given to Hastert,
along with separate awards bestowed by the Illinois Chapter of the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Dan Gable Museum in
Waterloo, Iowa.
(Reporting by Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and
Matthew Lewis)
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