A federal grand jury in California has indicted US representative Duncan Hunter and his wife on corruption charges.
In 2016 Hunter was the second member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for the White House, saying: “We don’t need a policy wonk as president. We need a leader as president.”
Earlier this month Trump’s first such backer, Chris Collins of New York, was indicted for insider trading. He subsequently ended his bid for re-election.
Prosecutors said the panel in San Diego charged Hunter and his spouse with converting more than $250,000 in campaign money to pay for personal expenses, including dental work, fast food, golf outings, and vacations and trips for their family and nearly a dozen relatives.
The 48-count indictment alleges the money was taken between 2009 and 2016. It alleges that the couple concealed the misuse by falsifying campaign finance records, claiming the expenses as being campaign-related.
Asked for comment, a representative for Hunter sent a 6 August letter from his attorney, Gregory A Vega, to the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein. The letter called the indictment process politically motivated.
In a statement, House Speaker Paul Ryan stripped Hunter of all his committee assignments, writing: “The charges against Rep. Hunter are deeply serious. 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.”
Steve Stivers, the chair of the National Republican Campaign Committee also weighed in: “These are troubling charges leveled against Congressman Hunter. I trust our judicial system and eagerly await more facts surrounding the case.”
Democratic House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement: “Once again, one of President Trump’s earliest supporters in Congress has broken the public trust and abused his position to enrich himself and his family.
“Speaker Ryan must immediately call on Congressman Hunter to resign, and affirm that no one is above the law.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune called on Hunter to resign, writing in an editorial: “Hunter badly lost his way, seemingly becoming corrupt to the point of caricature.”
Hunter faces re-election in November in a Republican leaning seat outside San Diego. The five-term Republican cannot be removed from the ballot and write-ins are not allowed under California law. He faces Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar in a district that Trump won by 15% in 2016.
News of Hunter’s indictment came on the day two figures formerly in Trump’s own orbit were convicted in court.
Former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts of fraud and former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations.
