Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and his wife pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of misusing campaign funds to pay for personal expenses, including a family trip to Italy and dental work, according to reports.
Duncan and his wife, Margaret Hunter, appeared in federal court in San Diego following their indictment by a federal grand jury Tuesday. The couple is accused of stealing more than $250,000 in campaign funds to purchase items and trips for their personal use from 2009 through 2016.
Hunter and his wife face charges that include wire fraud, prohibited use of campaign contributions and falsification of records among others, the Justice Department said.
During their court appearance, Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Halpern said neither Hunter nor his wife were considered a flight risk, and said a “fairly low bond” was appropriate given their financial situation, according to reports.
Halpern said the two were “living paycheck to paycheck.”
Bail for Hunter was set at $15,000. Margaret Hunter’s bail was set at $10,000, according to reports.
Hunter criticized the Justice Department in a statement Wednesday and accused the agency of being “politically motivated.”
“We are seeing this with President Trump; we are seeing this with my case,” he said.
According to the indictment, the Hunters used campaign funds to pay for family vacations in the U.S. and abroad, tuition for the children’s school, dental work, theater tickets and travel for their family members.
In November 2015, for example, Hunter and his wife used more than $14,000 in campaign funds for a family vacation to Italy, and in April 2015, the couple used more than $6,500 for a family vacation to Hawaii, the indictment said. They also spent thousands of campaign dollars on household and other personal items, including $11,300 at Costco and $5,700 at Walmart.
The indictment also paints a grim financial picture for Hunter and his wife.
The couple overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times over a span of seven years, and amassed roughly $37,761 in fees.
The indictment said the couple concealed its spending on filings with the Federal Election Commission by portraying their purchases as “campaign travel,” “dinner with volunteers/contributors” and “gift cards,” among other characterizations.
