Jump to content

Duncan D. Hunter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For his father and predecessor, see Duncan L. Hunter.

Duncan Hunter
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 13, 2020
Preceded byDuncan L. Hunter
Succeeded byDarrell Issa
Constituency52nd district (2009–2013)
50th district (2013–2020)
Personal details
Born
Duncan Duane Hunter

(1976-12-07) December 7, 1976 (age 48)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Margaret Jankowski
​
​
(m. 1998; div. 2023)​
Children3
RelativesDuncan L. Hunter (father)
EducationSan Diego State University (BS)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Years of service2001–2005 (active)
2005–2017 (reserve)
Rank Major
Unit1st Battalion, 11th Marines
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Criminal details
Criminal statusPardoned
Criminal chargeConspiracy to Steal Campaign Funds – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371
Penalty11 months in federal prison
Duncan D. Hunter's voice
Hunter explains his amendment to prohibit raising prices at Defense Commissaries
Recorded June 10, 2015

Duncan Duane Hunter (born December 7, 1976) is an American former politician, convicted felon and United States Marine who served as a U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district from 2013 to 2020. He is a member of the Republican Party, who was first elected to the House in 2008. His district, numbered as the 52nd from 2009 to 2013, encompassed much of northern and inland San Diego County and a sliver of Riverside County, including the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, San Marcos, Santee and Temecula. He served in the U.S. Marines from 2001 through 2005 and succeeded his father, Republican Duncan Lee Hunter, a member of Congress from 1981 to 2009.

In 2017, the Department of Justice began a criminal investigation into Hunter and his campaign manager and wife, Margaret Jankowski, for alleged campaign finance violations.[1][2] In August 2018, both were indicted on charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and violating campaign finance laws.[3] In June 2019, Jankowski pleaded guilty to corruption and named him as a co-conspirator in using campaign funds for personal expenses.[4]

Also in June 2019, federal prosecutors showed that from 2009 to 2016, Hunter had spent campaign funds on extramarital affairs with five women, including lobbyists and congressional staff.[5][6] In December 2019, Hunter changed his plea to guilty on one count of misusing campaign funds.[7] On January 7, 2020, he submitted letters of resignation to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom, that took effect on January 13, 2020.[8] On March 17, 2020, Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison, which had been scheduled to begin in January 2021.[9][10] Hunter did not serve any time because he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in December 2020.[11][12][13] The next day, Trump also pardoned Hunter's wife.[14]

Early life and education

[edit]
The Hunter family (Helynn Louise, Duncan Lee, and children) with President Ronald Reagan on January 12, 1989

Hunter was born in San Diego, California,[15] the son of Helynn Louise (née Layh) and Duncan Lee Hunter.[16][17] He graduated from Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California, in 1994, and San Diego State University, where he earned a B.S. in information systems in 2001.[18][19][20] During his sophomore year of college, Hunter started a web design company with a friend.[21] After graduation, he worked in San Diego as an information technology business analyst.[21]

Military service

[edit]

After the September 11 attacks, Hunter joined the United States Marine Corps.[22] He attended Officer Candidates School at Marine Corps Base Quantico. When he graduated in March 2002, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He subsequently served as a field artillery officer in the 1st Marine Division after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He completed a second tour in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, serving in Battery A, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines.[23] During his second tour, he participated in Operation Vigilant Resolve, in which he fought in battles in Fallujah.[24] Hunter was working in a command center on April 12, 2004, that mistakenly approved the mortar launch onto a schoolhouse in Fallujah where U.S. troops had set up a temporary base. Two U.S. Marines and an Iraqi interpreter were killed by the 81 mm mortar. Among the dozen wounded were three who were so seriously injured that they had to be medically retired.[25]

In September 2005, Hunter was honorably discharged from active duty.[26] After his discharge he started a residential development company.[27]

In 2007, he was recalled to active duty and deployed to Afghanistan.[28][29][30] He was promoted to captain during his wartime deployments as an artillery officer in 2006, and to major in 2012. Hunter remained in the Marine Corps Reserve until 2017.[31] According to Politico in August 2018, Hunter still experiences the trauma of his wartime deployments as an artillery officer in Afghanistan and Iraq.[22]

In April 2023 a report from NPR said that Hunter had been partly to blame for the friendly fire incident in Iraq in April 2004 that killed two U.S. Marines and an Iraqi interpreter. Hunter stated he was a trainee at the time; he admitted that he plotted the coordinates of the target and marked it on the map, but said he was working under the supervision of another officer who made the final call. The other officer told NPR that Hunter had been serving as the acting watch officer for the first time so that it was Hunter's call, but also blamed himself for not evaluating the call more closely. A military investigation of the incident was never made public.[32][33]

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

2008

See also: 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 52

On March 20, 2007, Hunter's father, Duncan Lee Hunter, announced that as part of his presidential bid he would not seek re-election to the House of Representatives in 2008,[34] retiring from Congress after 14 terms.[35]

After Hunter announced his candidacy for his father's seat, he was recalled by the United States Marine Corps to serve in the War in Afghanistan. On June 3, 2008, Hunter won the Republican primary with 72% of the vote in a four-candidate field and became the Republican nominee to replace his father, representing the 52nd District.[34][36]

In the general election, Hunter defeated Democratic nominee Mike Lumpkin, a former Navy SEAL, 56%–39%.[37][38] Hunter became the first combat veteran of either Iraq or Afghanistan to serve in the U.S. Congress; moreover, he was the first Marine to be elected who had seen combat in both conflicts.[39][40][41][42]

2010

See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 52

Hunter won re-election to a second term with 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Ray Lutz and Libertarian Michael Benoit.[43]

2012

See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 50

After redistricting, Hunter's district was renumbered as the 50th District.[44] It was pushed well to the east to cover most of inland San Diego County, while losing its share of the city of San Diego.

In the five-candidate open primary in 2012, Hunter ranked first with 67% of the vote; Democratic nominee David Secor ranked second with 17% of the vote.[45] In the general election, Hunter defeated Secor 68%–32%.[46] He became only the third person to represent this district since its creation after the 1960 census. Lionel Van Deerlin won the seat on its creation in 1962, and held it until the elder Hunter defeated him in 1980.

2014

See also: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 50

In the primary election, Hunter finished first with 62,371 votes (70%) to Democrat James H. Kimber's 21,552 (24%). In the general election, Hunter defeated Kimber by 111,997 votes (71%) to 45,302 (29%).[47]

2016

See also: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 50

In the primary election, Hunter took 56.5% of the vote against four opponents. In the general election, he defeated Democrat Patrick Malloy, 63.9% to 36.1%.[48]

2018

Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in California § District 50

Several Democrats challenged Hunter, including Ammar Campa-Najjar and Josh Butner. Hunter was also challenged by the Republican Mayor of El Cajon, Bill Wells.[49] In the jungle primary, Hunter received the most votes at 47.4%, followed by Campa-Najjar at 17.6%.[50][51] The two faced off in the November general election.[52][53]

During Hunter's 2018 re-election campaign, he repeatedly attacked his Democratic opponent Campa-Najjar over his half-Palestinian heritage. He claimed that Campa-Najjar, who converted to Christianity from Islam in high school,[54] was an "Islamist" trying to "infiltrate Congress", describing him as a "security threat" with terrorist ties.[55] The Washington Post fact-checkers wrote that an October 1, 2018, television ad by Hunter's campaign used "naked anti-Muslim bias" and sought to scare Californians from voting for Campa-Najjar, despite the fact that Campa-Najjar "isn't even Muslim. All the claims in the ad are false, misleading or devoid of evidence."[56] Hunter also claimed that Campa-Najjar was being supported by CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood; PolitiFact gave this claim its "Pants on Fire" rating.[57] CNN, The Guardian, Buzzfeed News, and The Daily Beast described Hunter's campaign as "anti-Muslim", Vox described it as "race-baiting", and The Atlantic called it "one of the most brazenly anti-Muslim smear campaigns in recent history."[55][58][59][60][61][62] After Hunter's attacks on Campa-Najjar were widely condemned, Hunter doubled down on the attacks in a direct mail letter written and signed by three defense industry lobbyists, characterizing Campa-Najjar as a national security risk.[63] Campa-Najjar described Hunter's attacks as "pathological."[64]

Hunter ultimately won with 51.7% of the vote, the closest race in the district since his father's initial run for what was then the 42nd District in 1980, when he unseated longtime Democratic incumbent Lionel Van Deerlin with 53 percent of the vote.[65] In the four decades since then, a Democrat had only managed more than 40 percent of the vote in 1992, when the elder Hunter was held to 52.8 percent of the vote.[66] Although the district is normally considered safely Republican, as evidenced by Hunter's previous wide margins of victory, the election was relatively close largely due to Hunter's indictment.[67] He was left as one of only three Republicans representing a district south of Bakersfield, the others being Paul Cook and Ken Calvert.

Tenure

[edit]

In July 2013, Hunter voted against an amendment offered by Justin Amash to rein in warrantless domestic surveillance conducted by the NSA.[68]

In October 2013 Hunter was the only representative from San Diego County to vote against the bill ending the nation's 16-day partial government shutdown, explaining that he voted against it because it did not reduce spending or the national debt.[69]

Hunter was an early supporter of Donald Trump's presidential bid, endorsing him in February 2016 in the earliest days of the Republican primary.[70] He was the second member of Congress to support him.[71] According to anonymous sources, during an address to Riverside County Young Republicans in late August 2017, Hunter said of President Trump, "He's just like he is on TV ... He's an asshole, but he's our asshole."[72]

At a town-hall-style meeting in March 2017, Hunter was confronted by protesters. Before the crowd, Hunter asserted that the American intelligence community was filled with "seditious Obama folks" who "hate Donald Trump as much as you [those at the meeting] do" and are trying to undermine the Trump administration. He also described the American government as "Orwellian".[73]

In April 2019, he pretended to cross the Mexico–United States border, in a bid to show that it was easy for immigrants to enter into the country. Hunter's Democratic challenger, Ammar Campa-Najjar, pointed out that actually leaving the country would violate the terms of Hunter's pretrial release after he was indicted on illegal spending of campaign funds.[74] In the video, Hunter says he is at "the grand border wall in Yuma, Arizona," while standing next to a waist-high barrier near the border. Hunter indicated that the small barrier was in fact the border wall and elaborated that "This is what we expect to stop people, transnational terrorists, families, all illegal aliens from coming across the border. This is it." He then proceeded to step over the wall and declare "There you go. That's how easy it is to cross the border in Yuma, Arizona."[75] The Border Patrol released a statement correcting Hunter's false claims and said that the "border wall" was actually a vehicle barrier 70–100 ft from the actual border which follows the Colorado River. Hunter had asked to stop at the barrier while on a courtesy ride-along.[76]

In 2019, the Marine Corps sent a cease-and-desist letter to Hunter, asking him to immediately stop using the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem and a Corps motto on political mailers to constituents. A spokesman for the Marines explained that the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor are trademarked and that federal law bars the use of the Marine seal and emblem for political purposes. Hunter used the Marine iconography in a racially charged mailer attacking his Democratic opponent and two Muslim congresswomen, attempting to link them to terrorism.[77]

After Trump pulled 1,000 U.S. troops from Kurdish-held territory on the Syrian border south of Turkey in 2019, a bipartisan resolution was passed in the House, 354–60, that condemned the president for abandoning those U.S. allies that would allow the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to reestablish and regroup its forces, and allow the Turks to attack the YPG. Hunter was one of the two from the 53-member California congressional delegation to vote against the resolution.[78]

Committee assignments

On August 22, 2018, after being indicted on 60 federal charges, Hunter was forced to resign from all of his Congressional committees and subcommittees.[79][80]

  • Committee on Armed Services (resigned)
  • Committee on Education and the Workforce (resigned)
  • Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (resigned)

Caucus memberships

Political positions

[edit]

Following in the footsteps of his father, Hunter's voting record was conservative; he has a lifetime rating of 93 from the American Conservative Union. He was a member of the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House conservatives of which his father was a longtime member.

Economy

Hunter voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[84] Hunter said that the plan was "good for most states" but "not as good" for California.[85]

Healthcare

Hunter favors repealing the Affordable Care Act, and voted in support of a budget resolution to repeal it in January 2017.[86] He expressed support for all drafts of the American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA), which would partially repeal and replace Obamacare, and voted for the AHCA on May 4, 2017. About the AHCA he said, "this is going to save America."[87][88]

Hunter opposed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, saying that it would "take away" the doctor-patient relationship and the right for people to choose "what type of operations they have", and that it would allow a "government bureaucrat" to make health care decisions for people. In an interview, Hunter said, "Things that you have problems with now would be exacerbated if you had government-run healthcare."[89]

Environment

On environmental issues, Hunter has a 2% (out of 100%) lifetime voting score from the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental group.[90]

Hunter rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. He believes that it is not caused by humans, that it may actually be positive, and that its cause is unknown.[91]

Hunter does not believe the EPA should be allowed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, and has consistently voted against any governmental limits to CO2 pollution. He would like to open up oil drilling in the United States in order to bring down gas prices.[92]

In a 2009 interview with KPBS, Hunter expressed support for "overriding" the designation of the delta smelt as an endangered species, saying that overriding it would reduce unemployment in California.[93]

War and military affairs

In a 2011 op-ed in Politico, Hunter opposed a complete withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, because of "unreliable Afghan leadership"; he accused the Obama administration of "echoing a misshapen worldview that puts American interests last".[94] In October 2012, Hunter returned from a visit to Afghanistan, as part of a congressional delegation, with a more upbeat assessment, stating "Frankly I was very skeptical last year when I went last, and have been, on whether [the Afghans] can do this, but they are."[95]

In December 2013, Hunter said that the culture of Middle Easterners made them unreliable negotiating partners.[96]

In 2013, Hunter called for the United States to train and arm Syrian rebels and said that President Obama would be breaking the law if he bombed Syria without a Congressional mandate, and that bombing should be considered an impeachable offense.[97][98] In September 2014, however, Hunter voted against a proposal to train and arm Syrian rebels fighting against ISIL extremists, saying that the proposal failed to go far enough.[99]

Columnist Dan Murtaugh of the Press-Register suggested that Hunter's 2011 call to rebid the littoral combat ship program was an attempt to get federal funds for a shipyard in his district.[100] Hunter turned again to the LCS program in 2012, with a call to reduce LCS builds in favor of amphibious ships, because he had read a report that the Marines had leased a ferry with similar characteristics to the LCS and the Joint High-Speed Vessel (JHSV).[101] In 2013 Hunter said the United States Navy was overworked and spread thin, and said that a "306-ship target might represent the absolute minimum capacity the navy needs".[102]

He called for the system of awarding the Medal of Honor to be reevaluated, due to the cases of Sergeant Rafael Peralta and Captain William D. Swenson.[103][104][105] After Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel became the third Secretary to deny the award to Peralta, Hunter maintained his pressure on the Pentagon. In late March 2014, he sent a letter asking the Pentagon to reevaluate Peralta's case, as well as the case of Bradley Kasal, who used his body to shield a fellow Marine from a grenade blast in Iraq in 2004.[106] In 2017, Hunter continued his effort to have Peralta's Navy Cross elevated.[107] In 2018, Hunter requested a review of the awarding of the Silver Star to Marine 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion, who was originally recommended for the Navy Cross.[108]

Hunter has been supportive of certain service members who have been accused or convicted of criminal actions. Hunter has been a strong supporter of Major Mathew Golsteyn, a former Green Beret charged with murder.[109] Hunter drafted a letter to Trump, asking him to give his personal attention to Golsteyn's case.[110] The congressman along with other lawmakers sought presidential help in the case of Chief Special Warfare Operator Eddie Gallagher who was to stand trial in a San Diego military court for similar offenses.[111][112] Hunter wrote letters to both Obama and Trump, asking them to consider giving a presidential pardon or leniency to Lieutenant Clint Lorance, a platoon commander in Afghanistan, who was convicted of second degree murder for ordering his troops during a combat mission to fire on Afghans approaching on a motorcycle at high speed who turned out to be unarmed; Trump reviewed the case and pardoned Lorance.[113][114] Hunter worked with Lieutenant Colonel Jason Amerine, who testified to Congress criticizing the Pentagon for failing to mount missions to rescue Taliban hostages;[115] Following his testimony the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry into whether Amerine had divulged classified information to Hunter, Amerine later testified to a Congressional committee looking into whether the military retaliates against whistle blowers.[116] In May 2019, during an attempt to defend Gallagher at a town hall meeting,[117] Hunter claimed that he too had posed for photos with a dead enemy combatant while deployed, and called the military justice system "corrupt".[118] In an interview Hunter claimed he had probably killed "hundreds" of civilians while serving as an artillery officer in Iraq, adding "So, do I get judged too?"[119] Hunter appeared in federal court in San Diego on November 25, 2019, for a hearing in his own case, and supported Trump's downward sentence modification for Gallagher. Hunter's hearing was postponed until December 3, 2019.[120][121]

Women

He voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, an act which made it easier to file lawsuits regarding wage discrimination.[122]

In February 2013, Hunter voted in favor of renewing the Violence Against Women Act.[123]

Hunter opposes women in combat and, to make a rhetorical point, in 2016 he introduced an amendment to the defense authorization act to require 18-to-26-year-old women to register for the Selective Service System (as 18-to-26-year-old men are required to do). This backfired, however, as the House Armed Services Committee voted 32–30 to adopt the amendment.[124][125]

LGBT rights

He supported the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which restricted federal recognition of marriage to opposite-sex couples only, and cut off federal benefits to same-sex couples.[126] He voted to delay the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which barred gays and lesbians from serving openly in the United States military.[127] In 2011, Hunter advocated delaying the implementation of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama. In 2011, Hunter introduced legislation to require that all "four military service chiefs certify that the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell won't negatively affect their combat units".[128]

On the question of transgender military personnel, Hunter said that as a Marine Corps veteran, he could not imagine sharing a shower with "somebody who was a girl and didn't have the surgery to become a man but kept the girl stuff".[129]

Abortion

Hunter is anti-abortion and believes life begins at conception. He consistently voted against all forms of abortion, as well as cloning and embryonic stem cell research.[citation needed] In 2017 he introduced a bill to give fetuses 14th Amendment protections.[130] Hunter voted to ban the morning after pill in the case of rape or incest, and would like to ban IUDs.[131]

He has been rated 0% by the abortion rights group NARAL and 100% by the anti-abortion National Right to Life Committee.[132]

Immigration

At an April 2010 Tea Party movement rally in Ramona, California, Hunter advocated for the deportation of United States citizens who are the children of illegal immigrants.[133] At the rally, Hunter said, "It's a complex issue and ... you could look and say, 'You're a mean guy. That's a mean thing to do. That's not a humanitarian thing to do' ... We simply cannot afford what we're doing right now. We just can't afford it. California's going under." He confirmed the comments to San Diego County's North County Times, telling the newspaper that he supported House Resolution 1868, a measure that called for the elimination of birthright citizenship in the United States. He expressed support for the 2010 Arizona immigration law, calling it a national security issue and "a fantastic starting point".[134]

Press relations

After a reporter from The Guardian was assaulted by Republican Representative Greg Gianforte from Montana,[135] Hunter's response was published in several newspapers. In response to questions about the AHCA's effect on those with pre-existing conditions, Gianforte put his hands around the reporter's neck and "body-slammed" him to the ground, injuring his elbow and breaking his glasses. Hunter commented: "It's not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it."[87]

Smoking

Hunter is an advocate of tobacco products. He uses an e-cigarette and opposes the banning of e-cigarettes on airplanes. Hunter puffed on his e-cigarette during a congressional hearing about vaping.[136][137]

In July 2010, Hunter introduced legislation into the 111th Congress to allow tobacco products to be shipped to service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan;[138] the legislation died after being referred to committee.[139] In 2014, Hunter moved to block a plan by the military to ban sales of tobacco products on bases and ships.[140]

Campaign finance investigation, indictment and conviction

[edit]

In April 2016, Hunter came under scrutiny from the Federal Elections Commission regarding his use of campaign funds for personal expenses from 2015 to 2016, after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an ethics complaint.[141][142][143]

In August 2016, the Office of Congressional Ethics made a recommendation to the Ethics Committee for a full investigation. Hunter and his wife, Margaret, who was being paid $3,000 monthly from campaign funds in her role as campaign manager, shared a campaign fund credit card which had charges that were questioned.[144] The expenses included $1,302 in charges for video games, $600 to pay for a family rabbit to travel by plane, clothing from Abercrombie & Fitch,[143] a donation to their son's school, payments to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, travel costs (including 32 payments for airfare, hotel stays in Arizona and Italy),[143] groceries, a nail salon visit, tuition, non-specified items at a surf shop,[145] and outdoor equipment.[146]

Federal investigation

[edit]

In February 2017, Hunter's campaign offices were raided by the FBI as part of a criminal investigation. Agents seized computers, other electronics, and financial records; they also seized a hard drive from Election CFO, an Alexandria, Virginia-based company that handled campaign finances on Hunter's behalf.[142] The raid was not reported in the media until August 2017, after court documents intended to be filed under seal were accidentally released to the public.[142]

In March 2017, the House Ethics Committee revealed that Hunter was under a Department of Justice criminal investigation for campaign finance violations and that it was deferring its own investigation as a result.[147] The Office of Congressional Ethics report stated: "Rep. Hunter may have converted tens of thousands of dollars of campaign funds from his congressional campaign committee to personal use to pay for family travel, flights, utilities, health care, school uniforms, and tuition, jewelry, groceries, and other goods, services, and expenses."[143][148] Hunter said that he repaid the money to the campaign, and denied wrongdoing. He also announced that his wife would no longer receive a $3,000 per month salary for consulting with the campaign.[143] His lawyers Gregory Vega and Elliot Berkewas said that any improper use of campaign funds was "inadvertent and unintentional".[142][147] In March 2017, in a statement issued through his lawyers, Hunter said that he had repaid his campaign approximately $60,000 in 2016.[147] In April 2017, Hunter returned from international travel in order to address issues around his campaign funds, promising to correct any inappropriate or mistaken charges.[144]

Indictment

[edit]
Indictment in United States v. Duncan D. Hunter and Margaret E. Hunter

On August 21, 2018, a federal grand jury of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California indicted Hunter and his wife on 60 counts of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations, and conspiracy.[149] The San Diego U.S. Attorney's Office accused the couple of conspiring to misuse $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, as well as filing false campaign finance reports.[150] Personal expenses charged to the campaign included vacations in Italy and Hawaii, theater tickets,[151] and purchases in the gaming platform Steam.[152] The indictment says that when Hunter wanted to buy some shorts for himself, his wife suggested that he falsely report the purchase as "golf balls for wounded warriors".[153][154] On another occasion he tried unsuccessfully to arrange a tour of a Navy base as a cover for a family vacation trip to Italy.[155] When the Navy couldn't arrange something on the date Hunter wanted, Hunter told his chief of staff to "tell the Navy to go fuck themselves."[156]

The indictment also alleges that Hunter spent campaign money on "personal relationships" with five women in Washington, DC, listed as Individuals 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 in the indictment.[157] The women were said to have included lobbyists and one of his own congressional staffers.[6] "Throughout the relevant period, the Hunters spent substantially more than they earned," according to the indictment. "They overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period, resulting in approximately $37,761 in 'overdraft' and 'insufficient funds' bank fees."[149]

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) called the charges against Hunter "deeply serious" and indicated that he would be stripped of his committee assignments pending a resolution of those charges.[80] At first, Hunter refused to leave his committees voluntarily;[158][159] however, following reports that the Republican Steering Committee was planning to forcibly remove his committee assignments, Hunter reversed course and agreed to step down from his committees.[160] The San Diego Union-Tribune, Hunter's hometown paper, published an editorial calling for him to resign from Congress.[161] Hunter's father, the former congressman, attacked the indictment as a "late hit" and claimed it was politically motivated.[162] Hunter himself insisted that he never used campaign funds for personal expenses and that the indictment was a "witch hunt" carried out by "partisan Democrat prosecutors" and the "deep state".[163] The Union-Tribune pointed out that the local U.S. Attorney's office is led by Adam L. Braverman, a Trump administration appointee.[161]

Guilty plea and sentence

[edit]

On August 23, 2018, both Hunter and his wife pleaded not guilty to all charges. The two entered and left the courtroom separately, and were represented by separate counsel.[164] Hunter suggested his wife was to blame for any irregularities, saying that she handled all their personal and campaign finances and adding, "I didn't do it. I didn't spend any money illegally."[165]

On June 24, 2019, federal prosecutors submitted a court filing alleging that Hunter used his campaign funds for extramarital affairs with five women, including three lobbyists, a congressional aide, and one of his staffers [166] between 2009 and 2016.[5][167] Ahead of a court hearing in November 2019, Hunter expressed support for President Donald Trump's downward sentence modification for convicted war criminal Eddie Gallagher, but refused to answer reporters' questions about his case.[120]

On December 3, 2019, Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of misusing campaign funds. Hunter said he expected to be sentenced to prison time, but hoped the judge would not sentence his wife to incarceration.[168][7] On March 17, 2020, U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan sentenced Hunter to eleven months in prison, followed by three months of supervised release.[169][170] Whelan rejected Hunter's request to serve most or all of his sentence on home confinement, given the long duration of his criminal conduct and the amount of money misappropriated.[170]

Margaret Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of corruption on June 13, 2019. She acknowledged that she had conspired with her husband to spend more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses. She agreed to give testimony and cooperate with the prosecution. Her plea agreement could have sent her to prison for up to five years.[4] After a postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[171] she was sentenced to eight months home confinement and three years probation in August 2020.[172]

Duncan Hunter was scheduled to begin his prison sentence on January 4, 2021.[173] However, he did not serve his sentence, because both he and Margaret were pardoned by then-president Donald Trump in December 2020.[174]

Resignation from Congress

[edit]

On December 5, 2019, the House Ethics Committee informed Hunter that he had violated House rules when he cast votes in the chamber two days earlier. They said he must refrain from Congressional voting because he had pleaded guilty to a federal felony with a potentially significant prison sentence.[175] Longstanding precedent holds that House members convicted of felonies should not take part in floor votes or committee work until the Ethics Committee reviews the matter. Although there is no constitutional rule barring a convicted felon from voting, the convicted member's party leadership usually strongly discourages a member from doing so, and the Ethics Committee has indicated in the past that convicted felons can be disciplined if they do take part in committee or floor votes.[176]

On December 6, 2019, Hunter announced that he would resign from Congress after the holidays.[177] By waiting until January to resign, Hunter would receive at least an additional $10,000 in monthly salary.[178] On January 7, 2020, he submitted his letters of resignation, effective January 13, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom.[8]

In January 2020, Democratic Representatives Josh Harder (California) and Max Rose (New York) introduced the No Pensions for Corrupt Politicians Act of 2020, which would prevent Hunter and other members of Congress who commit or conspire to commit campaign finance crimes from collecting a congressional pension.[179] It is estimated that otherwise Hunter would have received an annual payment of at least $32,000 in a congressional pension, which he would have been able to begin accessing when he turned 62.[179]

The following month, in February 2020, Barron's published an investigative report, based on leaks of confidential documents, that implicated Hunter as a key figure in the prosecution of Greek Orthodox priest and hedge fund manager Emmanuel Lemelson. The outlet noted Hunter's involvement in SEC vs. Lemelson as "a glimpse of how companies try to get regulators to go after their short-selling enemies." U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell noted that the SEC had been urged to investigate Lemelson in a letter from Hunter, stating the court found enough facts to warrant discovery on Lemelson's claim of selective enforcement and bias.[180]

Newsom's office stated that there would be no special election to fill Hunter's congressional seat, and so it remained vacant until it was filled in the November 2020 election.[181][182]

Presidential pardon

[edit]
December 2020 pardon granted by Donald Trump

Hunter was scheduled to report to the federal prison in La Tuna, Texas, in January 2021.[183][184] However, on December 22, 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned Hunter, as well as Chris Collins of New York, another Republican congressman convicted of corruption, and commuted the sentence of Steve Stockman of Texas.[184] The following day, Trump pardoned Hunter's estranged wife Margaret.[185] In 2022, the fines for both were upheld, however, since the Federal Election Commission determined that the pardon did not cover the civil liability.[186]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1998 Hunter married Polish-born Margaret Elizabeth Jankowski, whom he had met in 1992.[187] They have three children.[188] In 2016, Hunter sold his home in Alpine, California, and used part of the proceeds to repay his political campaign for some of the money he had spent on personal expenses. He and his family moved in with his father, Duncan L. Hunter.[189][149][188] In August 2020, Margaret Hunter pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds for personal use and was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years of probation.[190] She filed for divorce from Hunter in November 2020.[191] Their divorce was finalized on January 31, 2023, and she resumed using her maiden name, Jankowski.[174]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bresnahan, John (March 23, 2017). "Hunter under criminal investigation for alleged campaign finance violations". Politico. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  2. ^ Wilson, Megan R. (March 23, 2017). "GOP Rep. Hunter under criminal campaign finance investigation". The Hill.
  3. ^ Jarrett, Laura (August 21, 2018). "Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife indicted in use of campaign funds for personal expenses". CNN. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Watson, Julie (June 13, 2019). "Indicted congressman's wife pleads guilty to corruption". Associated Press. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Blood, Michael (June 25, 2019). "Feds: Rep. Duncan Hunter paid for affairs with campaign cash". Associated Press. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Derysh, Igor (June 26, 2019). "Rep. Duncan Hunter allegedly used campaign funds for affairs, blamed wife for crimes". Salon.com. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Wire, Sarah D.; Mehta, Seema (December 3, 2019). "Rep. Duncan Hunter pleads guilty to misusing campaign funds, is expected to resign from Congress". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Zanona, Melanie (January 7, 2020). "Rep. Duncan Hunter resigns from Congress". Politico.
  9. ^ "Ex-California Rep. Duncan Hunter Gets 11 Months In Prison". KPBS Public Media. Associated Press. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Haberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (December 23, 2020). "Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Brown, Pamela; Liptak, Kevin; Polantz, Katelyn (December 22, 2020). "Trump announces wave of pardons, including Papadopoulos and former lawmakers Hunter and Collins". CNN. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  12. ^ Mangan, Dan (December 23, 2020). "Trump pardons 15, including people convicted in Mueller probe". CNBC. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency". whitehouse.gov. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020 – via National Archives.
  14. ^ "Margaret Hunter Pardoned By President Trump". KPBS Public Media. December 23, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "Representative Duncan D. Hunter's biography". Project Vote Smart. 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  16. ^ Bell, Diane (February 19, 2013). "District attorney happy to do her bit on jury duty". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  17. ^ "duncan d hunter". Ancestry.com. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  18. ^ Congress, United States (1976). Official Congressional Directory - United States. Congress, W. H. Michael. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  19. ^ "Hunter timeline: Son of a congressman serves in military, gets elected". The San Diego Union-Tribune. August 21, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  20. ^ "Alumni Spotlight: U.S. Rep. Duncan D. Hunter". San Diego State University, Fowler College of Business. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Kitto, Kris (March 4, 2009). "The 'normal' life of Duncan D. Hunter". The Hill. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  22. ^ a b Bade, Rachael; Bresnahan, John (August 22, 2018). "From Fallujah to FBI investigation: The undoing of Duncan Hunter". Politico. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  23. ^ Robinson, Patrick (2013). Honor and Betrayal: The Untold Story of the Navy SEALs Who Captured the ""Butcher of Fallujah""--and the Shameful Ordeal They Later Endured. Hachette Books. ISBN 978-0-306-82309-1. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  24. ^ "Biography: Congressman Duncan D. Hunter". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Bowman, Tom; Smith, Graham; Haxel, Chris (April 7, 2023). "A fatal mistake: The truth behind a Marine Corps lie and broken promises". NPR.
  26. ^ Shane, Leo III (August 21, 2018). "Duncan Hunter, GOP lawmaker and Marine vet, indicted on corruption charges". Military Times. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  27. ^ "Hunter, Campa-Najjar face off in District 50". Ramona Sentinel. October 25, 2018.
  28. ^ "Biography". Congressman Duncan Hunter. Retrieved April 28, 2013. Still a marine reservist, he was promoted to captain in 2006, and to major in 2012.
  29. ^ Horseman, Jeff (February 22, 2013). "CONGRESS: Temecula part of Hunter's district". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, California. Retrieved April 28, 2013. Temecula is home to a number of marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Hunter is a major in the Marine Corps Reserve who served two tours in Iraq and another in Afghanistan.
  30. ^ Eckstein, Megan (March 6, 2015). "Meet the Navy, USMC Veterans on the House Armed Services Committee". USNI News. Annapolis, Maryland: U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved February 24, 2019. Hunter serves in the Marine Corps Reserve and was promoted to the rank of major in 2012.
  31. ^ Shane, Leo III (August 21, 2018). "Duncan Hunter, GOP lawmaker and Marine vet, indicted on corruption charges". Military Times. Tysons, Virginia. Retrieved February 24, 2019. Hunter joined the Marine Corps following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and served as an artillery officer in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in both Congress and the Marine Corps Reserves until last year.
  32. ^ Stone, Ken (April 6, 2023). "Duncan Hunter Blamed in Friendly Fire Incident That Killed 2 Marines in Fallujah". Times of San Diego. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  33. ^ "Cover Up". NPR. April 27, 2023.
  34. ^ a b "Duncan Hunter's son looking to replace him in House". The San Diego Union-Tribune. March 21, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  35. ^ Clock, Michele (June 4, 2008). "Hunter takes GOP primary". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  36. ^ Bowen, Debra (June 3, 2008). "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 26, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  37. ^ Bowen, Debra (November 4, 2008). "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 6, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  38. ^ Shane, Leo III (November 6, 2008). "Six recent combat veterans win congressional races". Stars and Stripes.
  39. ^ "Rep. Duncan D. Hunter". Politico. 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  40. ^ Maceyak, Lesley (September 12, 2012). "News: US Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. tours Navy Lab, awards GWOT medals". Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. San Diego, California. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  41. ^ Coleman, B.J. (October 4, 2014). "Congressman Duncan D. Hunter squares off against challenger James Kimber in debate sponsored by Veterans Campaign". The Alpine Sun. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
  42. ^ Swenson, Kyle (August 22, 2018). "Rep. Duncan D. Hunter: Tequila shots, golf outings and airfare for pet alleged in indictment". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 24, 2019. Hunter, then 30, won the campaign, becoming the first Marine elected to Congress who had seen combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
  43. ^ Bowen, Debra (January 6, 2011). "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  44. ^ Walker, Mark (August 16, 2011). "REGION: Saldana is against Bilbray as redistricting completed". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 6, 2013.[dead link‍]
  45. ^ Bowen, Debra (June 5, 2012). "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  46. ^ Bowen, Debra (November 6, 2012). "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  47. ^ "California Congressman Duncan Hunter Re-Elected". The Huffington Post. New York City. November 5, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  48. ^ "California U.S. House 50th District Results: Duncan D. Hunter Wins". The New York Times. December 16, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  49. ^ Schroeder, Lauryn; Pearlman, Karen. "El Cajon mayor announces he will challenge Rep. Duncan Hunter for Congress". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  50. ^ "2018 California Primary Election Results". California Secretary of State. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  51. ^ Levine, Mike; Siegel, Benjamin (August 22, 2018). "Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, an early endorser of Donald Trump, indicted". New York City: ABC News.
  52. ^ Stewart, Joshua (June 6, 2018). "Diane Harkey, Mike Levin, lead in 49th District; Rep. Duncan Hunter with big lead in 50th". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  53. ^ Mai-Duc, Christine (June 6, 2018). "Ammar Campa-Najjar advances to face embattled Rep. Duncan Hunter in November". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  54. ^ Latimer, Brian (April 20, 2017). "A young Latino Arab American throws his hat in the Congressional ring". NBC News. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  55. ^ a b Golshan, Tara (October 16, 2018). "Midterms 2018: Duncan Hunter is baselessly calling his opponent a "security threat"". Vox. New York City. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  56. ^ "Analysis | Indicted congressman falsely ties opponent to terrorism". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  57. ^ "Did CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood back a Democratic candidate?". Politifact. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  58. ^ Obeidallah, Dean (October 3, 2018). "Now Duncan Hunter Is Muslim-Bashing His Democratic Opponent—Who's a Protestant". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  59. ^ Reston, Maeve. "Indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter is running an anti-Muslim campaign against his opponent". CNN. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  60. ^ "An Indicted California Lawmaker Is Falsely Accusing His Opponent Of Being Part Of A Muslim Conspiracy". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  61. ^ Siddiqui, Sabrina (October 22, 2018). "Anti-Muslim rhetoric 'widespread' among candidates in Trump era – report". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  62. ^ Coppins, McKay (November 5, 2018). "Duncan Hunter Is Running the Most Anti-Muslim Campaign in the Country". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  63. ^ Clark, Charles. "Three retired generals join Rep. Hunter's attack on challenger, who notes that they are lobbyists on defense issue". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  64. ^ Sweedler, Maya. "Duncan Hunter campaign repeats unfounded claim that opponent is 'a national security risk'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  65. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 42 Race - Nov 04, 1980". Our Campaigns.
  66. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA District 52 Race - Nov 03, 1992". ourcampaigns.com.
  67. ^ Young, Ricky (October 30, 2018). "Rep. Duncan Hunter re-election race tightens, as majority of voters say they believe he broke the law". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  68. ^ "Amash amendment: the full roll call". The Guardian. July 24, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  69. ^ Walker, Mark (October 17, 2013). "Duncan Hunter explains 'no' vote on shutdown bill; Alpine Republican was county congressional delegation's only vote against deal". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  70. ^ Gass, Nick (February 24, 2016). "Duncan Hunter endorses Donald Trump". Politico. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  71. ^ Madani, Doha; Terkel, Amanda (August 21, 2018). "The First 2 Congressmen To Endorse Trump Have Been Indicted". HuffPost. New York City. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  72. ^ Stewart, Joshua (August 28, 2017). "Rep. Duncan Hunter gives President Trump a profane compliment". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  73. ^ Figueroa, Teri; Stewart, Joshua (March 12, 2017). "Reps. Issa and Hunter confronted by protesters at separate town halls". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  74. ^ Connolly, Griffin (April 19, 2019). "Rep. Hunter pretends to cross the Mexico border and gets called out for violating his parole: Hunter recorded the video as part of a ride-along with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol". Roll Call.
  75. ^ Wade, Peter. "Rep. Duncan Hunter Faked a Border Wall Crossing on Facebook". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  76. ^ Stone, Ken. "Rep. Hunter Hops Border Barrier — But Not Into Mexico as Video Suggests". Times of San Diego. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  77. ^ Casiano, Louis (July 18, 2019). "Marine Corps tells Rep. Duncan Hunter to stop using Eagle, Globe and Anchor emblem for campaign activities". Fox News. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  78. ^ "Rep. Hunter votes against condemning Trump on Syria, saying 'You kick ass and you leave'". San Diego Union-Tribune. October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  79. ^ Bade, Rachael (August 22, 2018). "Hunter steps down from House committee assignments". Politico. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  80. ^ a b Pettersson, Edvard; House, Billy (August 22, 2018). "Ryan Strips Indicted GOP Lawmaker of Committee Assignments". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  81. ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  82. ^ "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  83. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  84. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  85. ^ Elias, Thomas D. "Thomas D. Elias: State's GOP Congress members put selves at risk". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  86. ^ "Duncan Hunter Jr. on the Issues". OnTheIssues. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  87. ^ a b "California politics updates: State lawmakers weigh in on hundreds of bills by week's end, apology sought for cutting off Waters' microphone". Los Angeles Times. May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  88. ^ Baragona, Justin (March 23, 2017). "'This is Going to Save America': GOP Congressman on American Health Care Act". Mediaite. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  89. ^ Crook, Hank; Myrland, Doug (June 11, 2009). "Rep. Duncan D. Hunter Discusses First Year in Office, Economy, Health Care". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  90. ^ "Check out Representative Duncan Hunter's Environmental Voting Record". League of Conservation Voters Scorecard. December 4, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  91. ^ Wagner, David. "Obama Urges San Diegans To 'Call Out' Rep. Duncan Hunter On Climate Change Denial". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  92. ^ "Duncan Hunter Jr. on Energy & Oil". OnTheIssues. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  93. ^ Cook, Hank; Myrland, Doug (June 11, 2009). "Rep. Duncan D. Hunter Discusses First Year in Office, Economy, Health Care". KPBS. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  94. ^ Hunter, Duncan D. (June 3, 2011). "How to handle Afghanistan". Politico. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  95. ^ Kovach, Gretel C. (October 20, 2013). "Hunter reports progress in Afghan war effort". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  96. ^ Bennett, John T. "Rep. Hunter: US Should Use Tactical Nukes on Iran if Strikes Become Necessary". Defense News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  97. ^ Horseman, Jeff (August 27, 2013). "SYRIA: Duncan Hunter visits border, urges arming opposition group". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, Calif. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  98. ^ Dinan, Stephen (September 3, 2013). "Hunter: Obama inviting impeachment if he strikes Syria without Congress". The Washington Times. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  99. ^ Jennewein, Chris (September 17, 2014). "Rep. Hunter Is Lone S.D. Vote Against Obama's Syria Request". Times of San Diego.
  100. ^ Murtaugh, Dan (July 7, 2011). "Congressman asks for LCS program review, possible rebidding". Press-Register.
  101. ^ Robbins, Gary (September 14, 2012). "Hunter: Navy may need fewer littoral combat ships". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  102. ^ Steele, Jeanette (February 6, 2013). "Hunter Opposes Plan for Smaller Navy Fleet". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  103. ^ Hoskinson, Charles (October 12, 2011). "Defense too stingy with Medal of Honor, says Duncan Hunter". Politico. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  104. ^ Dinan, Stephen (August 13, 2012). "Congressman: Medal of Honor system broken". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  105. ^ Wilkens, John (December 23, 2012). "The changing process of awarding military's highest medal: Peralta case an example of modern methods interfering with witness accounts, vets say". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  106. ^ "Lawmaker: Grant all Marines who cover grenades the Medal of Honor". March 25, 2014.
  107. ^ Prine, Carl (February 6, 2017). "Could Mattis finally award Medal of Honor to Marine hero Rafael Peralta?". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
    Szoldra, Paul (February 7, 2017). "A California congressman wants Mattis to award the Medal of Honor to a Marine after years of controversy". Business Insider. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
    de Wind, Dorian (July 31, 2017). "The Fight For Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta's Medal Of Honor 'Is Not Over'". Huffington Post. New York City. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  108. ^ Szoldra, Paul (July 16, 2018). "Mattis Urged To Consider Award Upgrade For Marine Officer's Heroic Last Stand". Task & Purpose. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
    Forte, Neil; Snow, Shawn (July 18, 2008). "Why a congressman is urging Mattis to upgrade a fallen Marine's Silver Star". Marine Times. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  109. ^ "Army reopens probe into Green Beret, detainee's death after FNC interview". Fox News. January 12, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  110. ^ "Trump 'to review' Mathew Golsteyn Afghan murder case". BBC News. December 16, 2018. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018. A congressman sided with Maj Golsteyn, writing a letter to the secretary of the US Army to complain about the investigation.
  111. ^ Dyer, Andrew (March 30, 2019). "Navy SEAL released from brig after Trump tweet on his behalf". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  112. ^ Reston, Maeva (June 6, 2019). "Duncan Hunter's defense of accused Navy SEAL brings new scrutiny". CNN. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  113. ^ Tan, Michelle (January 12, 2015). "Hero or murderer? Soldiers divided in 1LT Lorance case". Army Times. Retrieved December 27, 2018. Lorance, now 30, is serving a 19-year prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, but his case is far from over. Across the nation, thousands are rallying in hopes the baby-faced soldier can regain his freedom. They see him as a patriot, unfairly punished for actions taken to protect his fellow soldiers.
  114. ^ Tritten, Travis J. (February 2, 2017). "Trump is asked to pardon Army officer convicted of Afghan murders". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved December 27, 2018. Trump was asked about Lorance's case during a January 26 interview with conservative TV commentator Sean Hannity and said only that, "We're looking at a few of them." If the president agrees to Hunter's request, he will be opening a murky and emotionally charged criminal case.
  115. ^ Lamothe, Dan (September 3, 2015). "Investigation clears Army of retaliating against Green Beret whistleblower, but scrutiny remains". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2018. The Defense Department Inspector General closed its reprisal investigation against the Army without finding that the service took any illegal unfavorable actions against Lt. Col. Jason Amerine, a decorated war hero who testified before Congress that the U.S. government had "failed" hostages held overseas.
  116. ^ Jahner, Kyle (June 10, 2015). "Special Forces officer to talk at whistleblower hearing". Army Times. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  117. ^ "California congressman says he's taken photo with dead enemy". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  118. ^ Cohen, Zachary. "Rep. Hunter says he's taken photo with an enemy corpse". CNN. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  119. ^ Bresnahan, John (May 30, 2019). "Congressman Hunter Says He Probably Killed 'Hundreds' Of Civilians While In Combat". KPBS Public Media.
  120. ^ a b "Duncan Hunter supports Gallagher, Trump in Navy SEAL controversy". KSWB-TV. November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  121. ^ Philipps, Dave (May 18, 2019). "Trump May Be Preparing Pardons for Servicemen Accused of War Crimes". The New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  122. ^ "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | U.S. Congress Votes Database". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  123. ^ "S. 47 (113th): Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013". GovTrack.us. February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  124. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (April 28, 2016). "Are women headed for the draft? Support for the idea grows in Congress". The Washington Post.
  125. ^ Golshan, Tara (April 28, 2016). "How a too-clever attempt to oppose women in combat turned into a bill opening the draft to women". Vox. New York City.
  126. ^ "Family Values". Congressman Duncan Hunter. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  127. ^ "Rep. Duncan Hunter: 'Homosexual Lobby' Will 'Takeover' The Military". ThinkProgress. October 14, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  128. ^ Burke, Megan; Penner, Gloria (January 21, 2011). "SD Congressman Challenges Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal". KPBS Public Media.
  129. ^ Kheel, Rebecca (June 28, 2017). "Republicans leave transgender policy in place, for now". The Hill. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  130. ^ "H.R.374 - Life at Conception Act". U.S. Congress. January 20, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  131. ^ "Congressional GOP Pushes Zygote Personhood Bills". Mother Jones. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  132. ^ "Duncan Hunter on the Issues". OnTheIssues. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  133. ^ "Calif. congressman wants to deport children of illegal immigrants". USA Today. April 28, 2010.
  134. ^ Ponting, Bob (April 29, 2010). "Congressman's call to deport children of illegals sparks firestorm". KSWB-TV. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  135. ^ Bermes, Whitney. "Judge releases Congressman Gianforte's mugshot". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  136. ^ Cadelago, Christopher (February 11, 2016). "California Rep. Duncan Hunter blows smoke at congressional hearing". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  137. ^ "California Rep. Duncan Hunter Vapes During Congressional Hearing on Use of E-Cigarettes on Planes". KTLA. February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  138. ^ Maze, Rick (August 2, 2010). "Hunter seeks loophole to let troops get smokes". Marine Corps Times. Retrieved March 10, 2013.[permanent dead link‍]
  139. ^ "H.R.6037 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for an exception to the prohibition against mailing tobacco products for products mailed to members of the Armed Forces serving in a combat zone". U.S. Congress. September 20, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  140. ^ Shane, Leo III (May 7, 2014). "Lawmakers move to block Navy plan to restrict tobacco sales". Navy Times. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  141. ^ Cook, Morgan (April 5, 2016). "FEC questions Duncan Hunter's video game charges". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  142. ^ a b c d "FBI searched campaign office tied to Duncan Hunter". Politico. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  143. ^ a b c d e Wire, Sarah D.; Cook, Morgan (March 23, 2017). "FBI is investigating San Diego-area Rep. Duncan Hunter for possible campaign finance violations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  144. ^ a b Cook, Morgan (April 7, 2016). "Hunter to cut short Israel trip, repay campaign funds". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  145. ^ Cook, Morgan (July 18, 2017). "Hunter's campaign ramps up spending on attorneys amid probe". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  146. ^ Cook, Morgan (November 16, 2016). "Duncan Hunter's campaign expenses detailed: Nail salon, dentist, more". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  147. ^ a b c "Rep. Hunter under criminal investigation for alleged campaign finance violations". Politico. March 23, 2017.
  148. ^ LoBianco, Tom (March 23, 2017). "DOJ investigating Rep. Duncan Hunter, early Trump backer". CNN.
  149. ^ a b c Cook, Morgan; McDonald, Jeff (August 21, 2018). "Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on fraud and campaign finance charges". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  150. ^ Jarrett, Laura; Reston, Maeve. "Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife indicted in use of campaign funds for personal expenses". CNN. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  151. ^ Blood, Michael R. (January 5, 2011). "SD Congressman Duncan Hunter, Wife Indicted for Misuse of Campaign Funds". KNSD. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  152. ^ "Congressman indicted for misuse of campaign funds, including $1,500 for Steam games". PC Gamer. Zergnet. September 11, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  153. ^ Wire, Sarah D.; Mai-Duc, Christine. "San Diego County Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife are indicted on campaign finance violations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  154. ^ "Rep. Duncan Hunter indicted". CNN. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  155. ^ "Duncan Hunter in Indictment: 'Tell the Navy to Go F*** Themselves'". Roll Call. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  156. ^ Ockerman, Emma (August 22, 2018). "Here's all the insane stuff "vaping congressman" Duncan Hunter charged to his campaign credit cards". Vice. New York City. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  157. ^ McDonald, Jeff; Cook, Morgan. "Hunter indictment sheds light on 'personal relationships' for congressman". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  158. ^ Weaver, Al (August 22, 2018). "Duncan Hunter: 'I am not going anywhere' after being targeted by 'politically motivated' DOJ". Washington Examiner. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  159. ^ Keller, Megan (August 22, 2018). "Duncan Hunter refuses to relinquish committee posts, may be forcibly removed". The Hill. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  160. ^ Bade, Rachael (August 28, 2018). "Hunter steps down from House committee assignments". Politico.
  161. ^ a b "Rep. Duncan Hunter, do the honorable thing. Resign". The San Diego Union-Tribune. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  162. ^ Stimson, Brie (August 21, 2018). "Politicians, Hunter's Father React to Hunter Indictment". KNSD. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  163. ^ Dyer, Andrew; Davis, Kristina (August 23, 2018). "Rep. Duncan Hunter says Democrats, 'deep state' behind indictment, says he's not resigning". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  164. ^ Reston, Maeve (August 23, 2018). "Duncan Hunter and his wife plead not guilty to charges they misused campaign funds". CNN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  165. ^ Sullivan, Kate (August 24, 2018). "Indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter: My wife handled my finances". CNN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  166. ^ Wu, Nicholas (June 25, 2019). "Prosecutors say Rep. Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to pay for affairs with lobbyists and aides". USA Today. McLean, Virginia.
  167. ^ Arango, Tim (June 25, 2019). "Duncan Hunter Used Campaign Money for Multiple Affairs, Prosecutors Say". The New York Times.
  168. ^ Zanona, Melanie (December 2, 2019). "Rep. Duncan Hunter to plead guilty in campaign finance violations case". Politico.
  169. ^ Watson, Julie (March 17, 2020). "Ex-California Congressman Duncan Hunter Sentenced to 11 Months in Prison". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  170. ^ a b Julie Watson (March 17, 2020). "Ex-California Rep. Duncan Hunter gets 11 months in prison". Associated Press.
  171. ^ "Margaret Hunter sentencing for campaign fund misuse delayed another month". KFMB-TV. City News Service. April 28, 2020.
  172. ^ Cook, Morgan; Moran, Greg (August 24, 2020). "Margaret Hunter, wife of disgraced former congressman Duncan Hunter, gets 8 months home confinement". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  173. ^ Marquette, Chris (October 16, 2020). "Duncan Hunter to serve prison sentence at West Texas camp". Roll Call. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  174. ^ a b Stone, Ken (January 31, 2023). "Wife of Disgraced Ex-Rep. Hunter Wins Divorce After Deal Averts El Cajon Trial". Times of San Diego. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  175. ^ Clark, Charles T. (December 5, 2019). "House Ethics Committee warns Hunter to refrain from voting in light of guilty plea". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  176. ^ United States House of Representatives. "Status of a Member of the House Who Has Been Indicted For or Convicted of A Felony" (PDF).
  177. ^ "Representative Duncan D. Hunter announces he will resign from Congress after the holidays". KUSI-TV. December 6, 2019.
  178. ^ "Duncan Hunter To Collect Over $10,000 In Taxpayer-Funded Income After Guilty Plea". HuffPost. December 9, 2019.
  179. ^ a b Stone, Ken (January 31, 2020). "New Bill Would Bar Duncan Hunter from Collecting a Congressional Pension". Times of San Diego. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  180. ^ Alpert, Bill (February 19, 2020). "Hedge Fund Alleges SEC Bias in Short-Selling Case". Barron's. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  181. ^ Rep. Hunter Announces Resignation Date, Newsom Will Not Call Special Election, KNSD, Julie Watson and NBC 7 Staff January 7, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  182. ^ Clark, Charles T. (January 8, 2020). "Rep. Duncan Hunter's seat in Congress will sit vacant, as governor says no to special election". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  183. ^ Dyer, Andrew (October 16, 2020). "Former Rep. Duncan Hunter to serve sentence at West Texas prison camp". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  184. ^ a b Haberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (December 23, 2020). "Trump Pardons Two Russia Inquiry Figures and Blackwater Guards". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  185. ^ "Margaret Hunter Pardoned By President Trump". KPBS Public Media. City News Service. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  186. ^ Montellaro, Zach, The Federal Election Commission fined former Rep. Duncan Hunter for using campaign funds for personal use, Politico, April 1, 2022
  187. ^ "Rep. Duncan Hunter points to his wife and 'whatever she did' in campaign finance scandal". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 2018.
  188. ^ a b "Hunter timeline: Son of a congressman serves in military, gets elected". The San Diego Union-Tribune. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  189. ^ "Duncan L. Hunter". ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  190. ^ Hoffman, Matt (August 24, 2020). "Margaret Hunter Sentenced To Eight Months Home Confinement For Misusing Campaign Funds". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  191. ^ Stone, Ken (December 8, 2020). "Margaret Hunter Seeks to Divorce Ex-Congressman Husband Duncan D. Hunter". Times of San Diego. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Duncan D. Hunter.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 52nd congressional district
2009–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 50th congressional district
2013–2020 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duncan_D._Hunter&oldid=1262322291"