Rep. Duncan Hunter Uses Campaign Funds for Steam Games and Hawaiian Shorts
"Of course they are all campaign. Why else would I charge them to the campaign [credit] card."
The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and his wife, Margaret, were being indicted for misusing at least $250,000 worth of campaign funds.
According to the 47-page indictment, the Hunters often spent more money than they had. Their accounts were overdrawn over 1,100 times between 2009 and 2016, accumulating $37,761 in overdraft fees. The couple's credit cards were often maxed out, and for seven years they maintained less than $1,000 in reportable assets. Facing mounds of debt and overdue payments, the Hunters decided to dip into their campaign funds—and dip, and dip, and dip some more.
Here are some of the purchases the Hunters made, all of them allegedly campaign-related:
A Ring Pop from Target for "teacher/parent and supporter events"
One of the Hunters' purchases was a ring pop at the Santee Target. pic.twitter.com/OMH3revEI9
— Sara Libby (@SaraLibby) August 21, 2018
Hawaiian shorts for "the wounded warriors"
This is the funniest part of the Duncan Hunter indictment. https://t.co/5aDRwqD6CC pic.twitter.com/8m6bVHKdlh
— Dan McQuade (@dhm) August 21, 2018
Multiple games on STEAM
The first Congressman to go to jail for gaming pic.twitter.com/Sak83ytwf2
— lib crusher (@lib_crusher) August 21, 2018
Plus a gaming keyboard and mouse
what the hell kind of luxury gaming keyboard was this pic.twitter.com/QGvnJIg8gG
— lib crusher (@lib_crusher) August 21, 2018
30 Tequila shots and a steak for a friend's Bachelor party
Another amazing part of Duncan Hunter indictment for misusing campaign funds … pic.twitter.com/p8drkLoOLo
— Chris Reed (@chrisreed99) August 21, 2018
Since 2009, the Hunters' spending on international travel, doctor's appointments, and their children's tuition were all mischaracterized as campaign travel and other campaign-related expenses. Hunter's campaign treasurer repeatedly asked for confirmation that the various expenses were accumulated for their intended purpose. Once in 2011, Hunter told his treasurer, "Of course they are all campaign. Why else would I charge them to the campaign [credit] card." The conversation came a month after Hunter spent $169.24 for golf and sushi with an acquaintance.
Hunter will be up for reelection in three months, and state spokesperson Sam Mahood tells The Hill that there is "no process in California Elections Code for Duncan Hunter to remove his name from the November ballot."
The full indictment is available below:
