George Hansen | Former congressman, 83

Former U.S. Rep. George Hansen, 83, died Thursday of natural causes at a medical center in Pocatello, Idaho, Cornelison Funeral Home said.

Mr. Hansen, a Republican known for his colorful antics as well as his time in federal prison, represented Idaho's Second Congressional District for seven terms in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

In 1979, Mr. Hansen went to Iran to attempt to negotiate a deal during the hostage crisis, angering the Carter administration.

In 1984, he 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.

In 1993, Mr. Hansen was convicted of 45 counts of bank fraud for a multimillion-dollar check-kiting scheme. Despite the conviction, nearly 100 of his alleged victims submitted affidavits to the judge saying they didn't want Mr. Hansen sentenced and he was still considered their political champion.

That prompted U.S. District Judge Ed Lodge to say at the time, "I've never seen that kind of blind allegiance."

Mr. Hansen's wife, Connie, died in 2013. He is survived by five children, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. - AP