George V. Hansen

George V. Hansen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 4, 1985
Preceded by	Orval H. Hansen
Succeeded by	Richard H. Stallings
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 2nd district
In office January 4, 1965 – January 3, 1969
Preceded by	Ralph R. Harding
Succeeded by	Orval H. Hansen
Personal details
Born	September 14, 1930 (1930-09-14) Tetonia, Idaho
Political party	Republican
Residence	Pocatello
Profession	Insurance
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

George Vernon Hansen (born September 14, 1930) is a Republican politician from the state of Idaho. He served in the House of Representatives from 1965 to 1969 and again from 1975 to 1985.

Biography

Hansen was born in Tetonia, Idaho. He graduated from Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho) in 1956 and did graduate work at Idaho State University. He served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1954 and the United States Naval Reserve from 1964 to 1970.

Hansen moved to Alameda, Idaho, and was established as a life insurance salesman by 1958. He was elected mayor of Alameda in 1961 and supported its merger with Pocatello the following year. Following the merger Hansen served as a Pocatello city commissioner until 1965.

Hansen was an unsuccessful candidate for United States Senate in 1962 but won a seat in the House two years later. He again ran for the Senate in 1968 but lost to Democratic incumbent Frank Church. Hansen ran a third unsuccessful Senate campaign in 1972.

In 1975 Hansen returned to the House. In Washington Hansen was known as one of the most conservative members of Congress. He was a particularly vocal critic of the Internal Revenue Service.

Congressman Hansen went to Tehran in 1979 in the middle of the Iran hostage crisis to try to negotiate with hostage takers through the fence of the U.S. Embassy. In 1980 Hansen published a book titled 'To harass our people: The IRS and government abuse of power.

In 1984 Hansen was reprimanded by the House for failing to include transactions on federal disclosure forms. He was defeated for reelection by less than 200 votes that year by Democrat Richard H. Stallings. Hansen tried unsuccessfully to challenge the election result. He was convicted of failing to file full disclosure forms and spent 15 months in prison. His imprisonment included torture through medical neglect and subjection to "diesel therapy," a form of punishment in which prisoners are painfully shackled and then transported for days or weeks without respite. The conviction was overturned in 1995 as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hubbard v. United States.

Books

• To harass our people: The IRS and government abuse of power, Positive Publications, (1981).
• How the IRS seizes your dollars and how to fight back, Simon and Schuster, (1981), ISBN 0671427954.

External links

• George V. Hansen at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Ralph R. Harding	United States House of Representatives, Idaho Second Congressional District January 4, 1965–January 3, 1969	Succeeded by Orval H. Hansen
Preceded by Orval H. Hansen	United States House of Representatives, Idaho Second Congressional District January 3, 1975–January 4, 1985	Succeeded by Richard H. Stallings
Party political offices
Preceded by Jack Hawley	Republican Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Idaho 1968 (lost)	Succeeded by Robert L. Smith