BOISE - Former Idaho Republican congressman George Hansen died Thursday of natural causes at an eastern Idaho medical center. He was 83.
Known for his colorful antics as well as his time in federal prison, Hansen represented Idaho's 2nd Congressional District for a total of seven terms in the in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
In 1979, Hansen went to Iran to attempt to negotiate a deal during the hostage crisis, angering the Carter administration.
In 1984, Hansen became the first congressman convicted under the Ethics in Government Act for filing false financial disclosure statements, serving two six-month stints in federal prison. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated his conviction 10 years later after finding fault with the act.
Hansen is survived by five children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
