After two consecutive weak fundraising quarters, embattled California Rep. Duncan Hunter finally posted a fundraising quarter in which he raised more than he spent.

The Republican has been dogged by a federal criminal investigation about spending campaign finance cash for personal use.

The investigation led him to spend more on legal feesthan he raised for the past two fundraising quarters.

But Hunter raised $210,268 for the first quarter of 2018 while spending $191,678, according to Rob Pyers, who runs California Target Book.

Huh. After posting progressively awful fundraising reports throughout 2017, embattled #CA50 Republican @Rep_Hunter bounces back with $210,268 raised in Q1. He spent $191,678 , with only 40% of that total going to legal fees this quarter. https://t.co/JGFZaCEx3x

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) April 16, 2018

Still, Pyers noted that Hunter has spent 90 percent of all of his campaign cash on legal fees, for a total of $614,492.

For those keeping track, #CA50 @Rep_Hunter‘s campaign has now raised $681,364 this election cycle and spent over 90% ($614,492) on legal fees.
Q1 ’17 $69,393
Q2 ’17 $152,860
Q3 ’17 $134,794
Q4 ’17 $178,168
Q1 ’18 $79,277

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) April 16, 2018

Hunter also outraised his Democratic challengers.

Former Obama administration official Ammar Campa-Najjar raised a total of $205,242.99, while retired Navy SEAL Josh Butner raised $176,226.58 between Jan. 1 and March 31 of this year.

Hunter’s perceived weakness has caused the contest between Campa-Najjar and Butner to turn ugly.

Butner saying Campa-Najjar was involved with a website that tied Butner’s father to the Ku Klux Klan.

Campa-Najjar said Butner’s campaign was behind a new story tying Campa-Najjar to his grandfather, who was a terrorist but died before Campa-Najjar was born.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales still rates California’s 50th District as Likely Republican.