Former Montana Lt. Attorney General Kristin Hansen died Thursday morning at the age of 52, according to a news release from the Montana Department of Justice.
Hansen had served as the right hand to Attorney General Austin Knudsen since he took office in January 2021. Before that, she worked for the Montana State Auditor’s office and represented Havre as a state legislator.
In a statement, Attorney General Knudsen called Hansen a “dear friend, conservative leader and an amazing woman who dedicated her life to others.”
Hansen stepped down from her post at the Attorney General’s office in June.
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.”
