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Hunter Under Criminal Investigation Over Campaign Fund Spending

Department of Justice asks Ethics Committee to defer

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., faces charges of using campaign money for personal expenses (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo).
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., faces charges of using campaign money for personal expenses (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo).

California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter is facing a criminal investigation for using campaign money for personal use, the House Ethics Committee reported Thursday.

 

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,” a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics said.

 

The board of the independent congressional body recommended that the Committee on Ethics should review the allegations against Hunter.

 

The Department of Justice has asked the committee to defer its investigation to the department, as it typically does when it gets involved in such cases.

 

Earlier this year, an ethics probe found that Hunter had used $600 worth of campaign contributions to fly his pet rabbit. Hunter reimbursed his campaign more than $62,000 for items like video games, a resort stay, oral surgery, a resort stay and a jewelry purchase.

 

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