Indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter says his wife's the one who handles his finances
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) wants everyone to know that not only did he not handle his campaign funds, but he's not even in charge of his own bank account.
Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted earlier this week, accused of spending more than $250,000 in campaign funds on personal vacations, clothes, and flying their pet rabbit to Washington, D.C. They pleaded not guilty on Thursday morning, and during an appearance on Fox News later in the day, Hunter denied any wrongdoing. "My campaign did make mistakes, there was money spent on things, not by me but by the campaign, and I paid that back before my last election," Hunter told Martha MacCallum.
He called the charges "pure politics," and when asked if this was his wife's fault, Hunter didn't say no. Hunter served in Iraq with the Marines, and said when he deployed he gave his wife power of attorney over their finances. "She was also the campaign manager, so whatever she did, that'll be looked at, too, I'm sure," he said. "But I didn't do it. I didn't spent any money illegally." As a congressman, Hunter earns $174,000 a year, and MacCallum asked him if he thought that number should be higher. "I think it depends where you live," he said. "It's difficult to live in a place like San Francisco or San Diego or New York or D.C. It's probably easier to live in Kansas or Missouri. It's all relative."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published