After spending the past year denying the illegal misuse of campaign funds, Duncan Hunter announced on Monday that he would plead guilty to one of the 60 criminal charges he is facing, ahead of his trial scheduled in January
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Baseline grifting and calling accusations of improper behavior a “witch hunt” have clearly worked well for the president, but they appear to be harder to pull off for rank-and-file members of his party. After spending the past year denying the illegal misuse of campaign funds, Republican representative Duncan Hunter announced on Monday that he would plead guilty to one of the 60 criminal charges he is facing, ahead of his trial scheduled in January.
“The plea I accepted is misuse of my own campaign funds, of which I pled guilty to only one count,” Hunter told KUSI in San Diego, which is close to his vast district in inland southern California. “I justify my plea with the understanding that I am responsible for my own campaign and my own campaign money.”
That justification probably means a great deal to his wife and former campaign manager, Margaret Hunter. Last year, the congressman blamed his spouse for any and all irregularities in his campaign coffers. “She handled my finances throughout my entire military career, and that continued on when I got to Congress,” Hunter told Fox News in 2018. “She was also the campaign manager so whatever she did, that’ll be looked at too, I’m sure, but I didn’t do it.
Though the blame game surely was a strain on their relationship, at least they had fun while the scam lasted. In the August 2018 indictment, Hunter was accused of illegally using $250,000 in campaign money from 2009 to 2016 on fun couple’s activities like a $10,000 trip to Italy, surf shop purchases, Hawaiian shorts, oral surgery, and plane tickets for their pet rabbit, Eggburt.
Though Hunter won reelection in 2018 by just under four points, California’s 50th District is likely to remain red in the coming election. Prior to the indictment, he had won by at least 25 points in all his House bids. With Hunter out, retired GOP congressman Darrell Issa’s expected run in the 50th is all the more likely come November.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Rep. Duncan Hunter to plead guilty in campaign finance violations caseDuncan Hunter is expected to change his “not guilty” plea in court today after denying for more than a year that he illegally misused campaign funds
Read more »
Rep. Duncan Hunter to change plea in case alleging misuse of campaign fundsThe California Republican, who has long denied accusations of illegally dipping into campaign funds, will change his not guilty plea, court documents show
Read more »
Rep. Duncan Hunter Pulls an About-Face, Will Plead Guilty in Scandalous Campaign Finance CaseAccording to his lawyer, Rep. Duncan Hunter will plead guilty to a conspiracy count as part of a plea bargain in his criminal campaign finance case
Read more »
California congressman Duncan Hunter set to plead guilty in campaign finance caseU.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, a leading California conservative, said on Mo...
Read more »
Duncan Hunter To Plead Guilty In Campaign Finance Case He Called 'Witch Hunt'The Republican congressman claimed the federal investigation into his spending was because of his support for President Donald Trump.
Read more »
House GOP members are 'absolutely disgusted and exhausted' by Trump's behavior, former GOP congressman.FareedZakaria says his 'optimism is wearing thin' as political rhetoric becomes extreme in the Trump era: 'America's greatest asset, its constitutional republic and its democratic character, seem to be in danger of breakdown”
Read more »