Kris Hansen, ex-chief deputy attorney general, dies at 52

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Kris Hansen, who recently departed the No. 2 post at Montana Attorney General's Office, has died at age 52, according to state officials.

A news release from the Montana Department of Justice said Hansen died early Thursday, the Independent Record reported. No information about her cause of death was released.

Hansen was named chief deputy of the Montana Department of Justice in December 2020. Before that, she worked for the office of the Montana State Auditor and represented Havre as a Republican state lawmaker.

In late May, Hansen confirmed she was leaving the office, but declined to say why. The Attorney General's Office said at the time she was leaving to "attend to personal and family matters."

"Kris was a dear friend, a conservative leader, and an amazing woman who dedicated her life to others," Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement Friday.

Hansen was a central figure during the state Republicans' conflict with the judicial branch last year. Hansen, representing Republican lawmakers who had subpoenaed judicial records, wrote a public letter accusing the Supreme Court of interfering with a legislative investigation by quashing a subpoena for judicial records.

The court ultimately ruled state lawmakers had overstepped their authority with the subpoenas.

Hansen was a Montana National Guard veteran and served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She also served a tour of duty with the Central Intelligence Agency in Mogadishu, Somalia in the early 1990s.

Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a statement that Hansen's "indomitable spirit left an impact on all who knew her."

A spokesperson for Knudsen declined Friday to offer information on the cause or location of death, as well as funeral information.