Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA, 50th) and his wife, Margaret Hunter, were indicted Tuesday evening on a variety of charges related to their alleged use of campaign money to finance their lifestyle.
The allegations in the 47-page charging document include spending $250,000 of campaign funds on personal goods and services, including family vacations, dental bills, and private school tuition for their children. Margaret Hunter was paid as his campaign manager and handled his campaign finance reports.
Duncan Hunter
While the congressman’s campaign manager said that Hunter will not drop his reelection bid, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI, 1st) said Tuesday that the congressman will be removed from his committee assignments until the matter is resolved. Hunter serves as the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee and as a member of the House Armed Services and Education and the Workforce Committees.
Hunter was the second sitting congressman to support President Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016; Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY, 27th) was the first. Collins was indicted earlier this month on insider trading charges.
According to California election law, Hunter’s name cannot be removed from the ballot, and write-in candidates are prohibited. Obama alum Ammar Campa-Najjar is challenging Hunter as a progressive Democrat.
