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Rep Duncan Hunter, wife indicted for alleged misuse of campaign funds
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/08/24 09:13:45
THE chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee of the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Republican Duncan Hunter, of California, and his wife Margaret, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they converted more than US$250,000 in campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and filed false campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
The couple were scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment at 10:30 am Thursday (US Time) before US Magistrate Judge William V Gallo. They are charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, falsification of records and prohibited use of campaign contributions, American Shipper reported.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin, immediately moved to sanction Mr Hunter. "The charges against Rep Hunter are deeply serious. The Ethics Committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department," said Mr Ryan. "Now that he has been indicted, Rep Hunter will be removed from his committee assignments pending the resolution of this matter."
Mr Hunter, who's a former Marine, has been a vocal supporter of the US military, the Coast Guard and US Merchant Marine.
In January he gave an impassioned defense of the Jones Act, which requires goods shipped between US ports be carried on ships built in and registered in the United States, with US seafarers.
In a recent television interview with the San Diego television station 10news, Mr Hunter said "We're excited about going to trial with this, frankly.
"This is modern politics and modern media mixed in with law enforcement that has a political agenda. That's the new Department of Justice. This is the Democrat's arm of law enforcement."
During his congressional career, he has received $6.37 million in campaign contributions, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics website opensecrets.com. It said $256,637 came from the "sea transport" industry.
Contributors in the 2016 and 2018 election cycles included firms such as Saltchuk (the parent of TOTE, Tropical Shipping and Foss), Carnival, Crowley, American Shipping and Logistics Group, Masters, Mates and Pilots; trade organisations such as American Waterways Operators and Cruise Lines International Association; and unions such as American Maritime Officers, Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, Seafarers International Union.
The Department of Justice said a 48-page indictment "details scores of instances beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2016 in which the Hunters illegally used campaign money to pay for personal expenses that they could not otherwise afford.
"The purchases included family vacations to Italy, Hawaii, Phoenix, Arizona, and Boise, Idaho; school tuition; dental work; theatre tickets; and domestic and international travel for almost a dozen relatives. The Hunters also spent tens of thousands of dollars on smaller purchases, including fast food, movie tickets, golf outings, video games, coffee, groceries, home utilities and expensive meals."
To conceal their personal spending, the Hunters allegedly mischaracterised the purchases in FEC filings as campaign travel, dinner with volunteers/contributors, toy drives, teacher/parent and supporter events, gift cards for charitable donations and gift basket items, among others.
The Justice Department said the Hunters' improper use of campaign funds for personal expenses occurred despite numerous warnings about the prohibition against using campaign funds for personal expenses and repeated inquiries from the congressman's campaign treasurer about questionable purchases.
The Justice Department said the criminal investigation began in June 2016, two months after the FEC and the San Diego Union-Tribune questioned some of Mr Hunter's campaign expenses as potentially personal.
The couple were scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment at 10:30 am Thursday (US Time) before US Magistrate Judge William V Gallo. They are charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, falsification of records and prohibited use of campaign contributions, American Shipper reported.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin, immediately moved to sanction Mr Hunter. "The charges against Rep Hunter are deeply serious. The Ethics Committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department," said Mr Ryan. "Now that he has been indicted, Rep Hunter will be removed from his committee assignments pending the resolution of this matter."
Mr Hunter, who's a former Marine, has been a vocal supporter of the US military, the Coast Guard and US Merchant Marine.
In January he gave an impassioned defense of the Jones Act, which requires goods shipped between US ports be carried on ships built in and registered in the United States, with US seafarers.
In a recent television interview with the San Diego television station 10news, Mr Hunter said "We're excited about going to trial with this, frankly.
"This is modern politics and modern media mixed in with law enforcement that has a political agenda. That's the new Department of Justice. This is the Democrat's arm of law enforcement."
During his congressional career, he has received $6.37 million in campaign contributions, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics website opensecrets.com. It said $256,637 came from the "sea transport" industry.
Contributors in the 2016 and 2018 election cycles included firms such as Saltchuk (the parent of TOTE, Tropical Shipping and Foss), Carnival, Crowley, American Shipping and Logistics Group, Masters, Mates and Pilots; trade organisations such as American Waterways Operators and Cruise Lines International Association; and unions such as American Maritime Officers, Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, Seafarers International Union.
The Department of Justice said a 48-page indictment "details scores of instances beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2016 in which the Hunters illegally used campaign money to pay for personal expenses that they could not otherwise afford.
"The purchases included family vacations to Italy, Hawaii, Phoenix, Arizona, and Boise, Idaho; school tuition; dental work; theatre tickets; and domestic and international travel for almost a dozen relatives. The Hunters also spent tens of thousands of dollars on smaller purchases, including fast food, movie tickets, golf outings, video games, coffee, groceries, home utilities and expensive meals."
To conceal their personal spending, the Hunters allegedly mischaracterised the purchases in FEC filings as campaign travel, dinner with volunteers/contributors, toy drives, teacher/parent and supporter events, gift cards for charitable donations and gift basket items, among others.
The Justice Department said the Hunters' improper use of campaign funds for personal expenses occurred despite numerous warnings about the prohibition against using campaign funds for personal expenses and repeated inquiries from the congressman's campaign treasurer about questionable purchases.
The Justice Department said the criminal investigation began in June 2016, two months after the FEC and the San Diego Union-Tribune questioned some of Mr Hunter's campaign expenses as potentially personal.