Uh oh. It looks like some of the charges in the indictment are related to affairs he had - and prosecutors now say they have *photos* to back up their allegations.
The charges involve Hunter and his wife using campaign funds for years of insane spending, including vacations, dinging, drinking, and more. But buried in the lengthy, 47-page document, were mentions of trips and meals with individuals only identified by numbers. It now has leaked out that some of those reference "personal relationships" with five unnamed women, ie not Duncan Hunter's wife.
Even better - prosecutors allegedly told Hunter's attorney that they have pictures of the indiscretions. Hunter's attorney, Gregory Vega, responded to the allegations by saying:
“While there may be evidence of infidelity, irresponsibility or alcohol dependence, once properly understood, the underlying facts do not equate to criminal activity."
So, they are not denying the cheating, drinking or bad choices...they are just saying that they are not criminal? Um, if you do those things with campaign money that was raised for THE CAMPAIGN, it is absolutely criminal.
When asked about the allegations, Hunter told Politico that the allegations were "tabloid trash" but never outright denied anything.
Hunter and his wife are charged with 60 criminal counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and filing false campaign-finance reports to cover up more than $250,000 of money stolen from his political campaign.
So about these affairs...the indictments mentioned "Individuals 14 through 18" who had money spent on them. Those people all lived in the Washington, DC area and had "personal relationships" with Duncan Hunter.
The San Diego Union Tribune outlined the affair allegations:
Individual 14:
In January 2010, just one year after Hunter succeeded his father (a 14-term congressman also named Duncan Hunter), the freshman representative spent $351 in campaign funds on a rental car to drive with Individual 14 from Reno to Lake Tahoe, prosecutors said.
Three days later, Hunter had his campaign pay a $1,008 tab at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino “for food, drinks and three nights lodging during a personal ski trip with Individual 14,” the indictment states.
On the same day, the Hunter family bank account had a negative balance and incurred six separate overdraft fees, prosecutors allege.
“On or about March 24, 2010, in Alexandria, Virginia, Duncan Hunter spent $121.34 in campaign funds at the Birchmere Music Hall for food and beer while attending a concert with Individual 14, Congressman A, and Congressman A's date,” the indictment alleges.
Hunter’s campaign spending on behalf of Individual 14 lasted more than a year, including “driving his car on a 468-mile trip to Virginia Beach” and “a personal stay at the Liaison Capitol Hill” in the first half of 2011, the indictment claims.
The last spending alleged with Individual 14 was listed as June 2011, when prosecutors say Hunter charged $254 to his campaign for “beer, golf and clothes shopping” at the Old Hickory Golf Club.
Individual 15:
Two years later, the indictment moves on to Individual 15. Prosecutors say Hunter began charging Uber rides to the person’s home in Washington D.C. He spent campaign money on Individual 15 for two years, until July 2015, costs that included ridesharing, drinks and barbecue, prosecutors allege.
Individual 16:
By June 2015, the indictment begins referencing spending on an Individual 16, who “worked with Duncan Hunter,” according to the indictment.
Those campaign charges included $203 at the H Street Country Club in Washington D.C. for dinner and drinks with Individual 16 and Congressman C and his date.
Individual 17:
In October 2015, Hunter spent campaign funds on another person with whom he had begun a personal relationship, the indictment said, identified as Individual 17. The $42 in billings paid for Uber rides to and from the person’s home on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of that month.
Individual 18:
The following September, the indictment alleges, Hunter used political donations to pay a $32 Uber fare from Individual 18’s home to his congressional office at 7:40 a.m. on a Thursday.
Individual 7:
In addition to the five individuals in the D.C. area named as having personal relationships with Rep. Hunter, there is another — Individual 7 — identified by prosecutors as living in the San Diego area and being friends with Margaret Hunter.
“She and Margaret Hunter socialized together in the San Diego area and occasionally on family trips out of town,” the indictment says.
Prosecutors also detail an outing that included Rep. Hunter and Individual 7, without Margaret Hunter, including a night at Busboys and Poets (a restaurant, lounge, bookstore and theater).
“On or about March 23, 2016, in Washington, D.C.,” the indictment also says, “Duncan Hunter spent $865.63 in campaign funds for a room at the Liaison Capitol Hill while Individual 7 visited from San Diego.”
Remember that for his entire political career, Duncan Hunter has presented himself as a Conservative Christian family man who loves his wife and kids, the Bible and the Constitution. Let's see if this swings the election in any way.
