SAN DIEGO _ After months of speculation, former Rep. Darrell Issa of California announced he has formed an exploratory committee, another signal he may run for Congress again.
Issa, who could not be reached for comment Thursday morning, changed his personal website to read "I have formally launched an exploratory committee for the 50th Congressional District in California."
Issa's possible entrance into the race could prove a game-changer because of his high name recognition and vast financial resources. His net worth was $283 million in 2016, according to Roll Call, a politics and government news site.
The 50th Congressional District is currently represented by beleaguered Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, a six-term Republican from Alpine who was indicted in August 2018 along with his wife and former campaign manager, Margaret, on 60 counts of spending $250,000 of campaign funds on a variety of personal expenses.
Although the couple initially pleaded not guilty, Margaret Hunter reached a deal with prosecutors in June and pleaded guilty to a single criminal charge of conspiracy, naming her husband as co-conspirator.
Hunter has maintained his innocence, saying the prosecution is politically motivated, and stated he is still seeking reelection in 2020. His trial is scheduled for January.
So far Hunter has drawn a variety of challengers including Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, and five Republicans: Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn, retired Navy SEAL Larry Wilske, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, former Escondido Mayor Sam Abed and former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio.
With Issa, who served in Congress for nearly two decades and represented a portion of what is now the 50th district prior to redistricting, Hunter would draw perhaps his most formidable challenger.
A multimillionaire who made a fortune heading his own electronics company, Issa was first elected to Congress in 2000 then rose to national prominence serving as chair of the House Oversight Committee from 2011 to 2015.
In that role he became a fixture of Fox News and for a time was the face of Republican antagonism toward President Barack Obama's administration, leading investigations into a bank-relief program, the Internal Revenue Service's review of conservative organizations, the death of Americans in Benghazi and the Fast and Furious gun trafficking operation.
But while his star rose nationally, back home his district was changing ideologically and demographically.
The once solidly red district had developed a purple hue, with President Donald Trump losing the district by 8 points. Issa, after winning the closest election of his congressional career in 2016 and following months of protests outside his district office, announced he would retire from Congress in 2018.
Originally it seemed Issa was heading for a post in the Trump administration after the president nominated him in September to lead the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, a small independent federal agency that focuses on increasing U.S. exports to emerging economies.
Confirmation for that post has stalled in the Senate, and Issa said in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune last month he was likely going to pull his nomination and move on with his life.
In an email, Hunter spokesman Michael Harrison did not specifically comment about Issa forming a committee and potentially entering the race. Instead he said Hunter remains committed to advancing the conservative values and Pro-Trump principles that citizens of the 50th District care about.
