Pat Swindall, whose election to Congress in 1984 shocked Georgia's political observers, died Tuesday night.
Swindall's former campaign manager and chief of staff, Robb Austin, confirmed Swindall, 67, died in his sleep.
Swindall was born Oct. 18, 1950, in Gadsden, Ala.
In the early 1980s, Swindall was a rising star in the Georgia Republican Party when he defeated veteran Democrat Elliott Levitas in metro Atlanta's 4th congressional district. Levitas had solidly held the seat since 1974.
Swindall's election coincided with the rise of the "religious right" in American politics, and foreshadowed a GOP takeover of Congress nearly a decade later. At the time of Swindall's election, Democrats held virtually every state and federally elected seat in Georgia.
But then Swindall was caught negotiating with a drug money launderer for a six-figure loan, news that helped propel former "Dukes of Hazzard" star Ben Jones to defeat Swindall in a 1988 landslide.
A federal grand jury convicted Swindall of perjury in 1989. He was then sentenced to a one-year prison sentence, but remained unrepentant about his perjury conviction.
Ironically, it was a President Ronald Reagan-appointed prosecutor, Bob Barr, who pursued Swindall. Barr would go on to serve several terms in Congress as well.
No word yet on Swindall's cause of death.
After his release from prison in 1995, Swindall hosted a conservative radio show.
In 2009, Swindall was indicted on charges he made illegal contributions to an Atlanta city council race. The month before, he sued his homeowners association over speeding tickets.
As owner of Greenbriar Discount Mall, an indoor flea market, he was sued in 2016 for selling counterfeit sunglasses.
