Virulently anti-LGBTQ Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter was indicted Tuesday, along with his wife Margaret, on charges of misusing campaign funds to the tune of $250,000.
Charges also included filing false campaign finance records to the Federal Election Commission.
CNN has the details:
The charges of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy were the culmination of a Department of Justice investigation that has stretched for more than a year, during which the Republican congressman from California has maintained his innocence.
Republican Party leaders had long worried that with a potential indictment looming, Hunter’s traditionally safe district which makes up much of eastern San Diego County could be at risk of Democratic takeover in November’s midterm election.
The CNN report goes on to share that the congressman and his wife overdrew their bank accounts over 1,100 times in a 7 year period.
Investigators found the Hunters took several lavish family vacations including “a 2015 family vacation in Italy over Thanksgiving totaling more than $14,000; an April vacation in Hawaii costing $6,500; and a $3,700 trip to Las Vegas and Boise in July 2015.”
There were also big-ticket “campaign expenditures” like a $2,000 trip for a family member to attend a Pittsburgh Steelers football game in 2010.
Hunter allegedly insisted his wife be paid $116,000 from 2010 to 2017 as a “campaign consultant.”
According to The Washington Examiner, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has now stripped Hunter of his committee assignments.
“The charges against Rep. Hunter are deeply serious,” Ryan said. “The Ethics Committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department.”
“Now that he has been indicted, Rep. Hunter will be removed from his committee assignments pending the resolution of this matter,” Ryan added.
While Hunter represents a solidly Republican district, his Democratic opponent, Campa-Najjar, has been out-fundraising the Republican, reporting more than $1 million in campaign donations. Campa-Najjar has just over $200,000 in cash-on-hand while Hunter has over $350,000.
The California congressman has been viciously anti-LGBTQ for years and was one of the most strident voices against the repeal of DADT in 2011 and strongly supported the hideous Defense of Marriage Act.
Hunter was the second member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president. The first was Rep. Chris Collins (R) of New York.
Both now face prison time.
