GOP Lawmaker Used Campaign Funds for Intimate Relationships, Prosecutors Say
Rep. Hunter Used Campaign Funds for Intimate Relationships, U.S. Says
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. prosecutors want to reveal that Congressman Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to pursue “a series of intimate relationships” when the married California Republican goes on trial over corruption charges.
Hunter’s spending on extramarital affairs shows the “personal nature” of his expenditures, and his motive to embezzle from his campaign, government lawyers said in a filing in San Diego federal court. They said Duncan rejected an agreement to avoid introducing the “potentially sensitive” information at trial.
Duncan and his wife were indicted last year on charges that they used campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, including tuition for their children’s private school, lavish dinners and vacations, and that they false campaign records. He has pleaded not guilty. Though Hunter’s relationships were with women involved in politics, such as lobbyists and congressional staffers, they were intimate and personal, prosecutors said.
“At trial, the evidence will demonstrate that Hunter improperly used campaign funds to pursue these romances wholly unrelated to either his congressional campaigns or his official duties as a member of Congress,” according to the filing.
His wife, Margaret Hunter, pleaded guilty this month and agreed to cooperate with the criminal investigation. Duncan Hunter had blamed his wife for the corruption charges, telling Fox News in an interview that she handled the couple’s finances. He has also blamed a “deep state” conspiracy.
Hunter was one of Donald Trump’s first backers in Congress in 2016. He represents California’s 50th congressional district, covering the southern part of the state, notably parts of San Diego and Riverside counties. He was re-elected last year despite his indictment.
Hunter’s lawyer, Gregory A. Vega, didn’t immediately respond to a call seeking comment.
The case is U.S. v. Hunter, 18-cr-3677, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California (San Diego).
To contact the reporter on this story: Joel Rosenblatt in San Francisco at jrosenblatt@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter Blumberg, Peter Jeffrey
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