A federal grand jury indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and his wife on Tuesday evening on charges of misusing $250,000 of campaign funds for personal expenses.

Hunter, the scion of a Southern California political dynasty, represents the state’s 50th congressional district, which includes eastern San Diego County and parts of Riverside County. He was among the first members of Congress to endorse President Donald Trump.

He has been under investigation for several months, though he has been favored to win re-election in November.

His Democratic opponent is Ammar Campa-Najjar, the grandson of a Palestinian terrorist, Muhammad Yusuf al-Najjar. The elder al-Najjar was killed by Israel in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1973 in a raid targeting the perpetrators of the terror attack at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.

Campa-Najjar said in a statement earlier this year, as quoted by the Jerusalem Post: “As many know, I am of Mexican and Palestinian descent. And like many American families, my heritage bears a heartbreaking history. Palestinians and Israelis have lost too much over the years of bloodshed, that’s why I am committed to helping broker a lasting peace in my lifetime.”

 It is not clear whether Hunter can withdraw from the race for his seat. California’s “jungle primary” system allows the top two finishers in the primary election to advance to the general election, regardless of party. The California Republican Party has no particular claim on Hunter’s place in the general election.

Republican Bill Wells (12.9%) finished a distant third in the June 5 primary behind Hunter (47.4%) and Campa-Najjar (17.6%).

The Hunters’ indictment came on the same evening as the conviction of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, and the guilty plea of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on similar charges, plus campaign finance violations.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.</s>(CNN) Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, routinely -- and illegally -- used campaign funds to pay personal bills big and small, from luxury vacations to kids' school lunches and delinquent family dentistry bills, according to a stinging 47-page indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The charges of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy were the culmination of a Department of Justice investigation that has stretched for more than a year, during which the Republican congressman from California has maintained his innocence.

The detailed indictment portrays the Hunters as living well beyond their means and said they "knowingly conspired with each other" to convert campaign funds to personal use.

Federal prosecutors contend that the Hunters repeatedly misrepresented what their expenses were for -- in one instance buying personal clothing at a golf course so that the purchase "could be falsely reported to the treasurer as 'balls for the wounded warriors,'" the indictment says.

The indictment also charges that Duncan Hunter facilitated the "theft of campaign funds" by directing his treasurer to obtain a campaign credit card for his wife at a time when she had no formal role.

The congressman then insisted that his wife be named as his paid campaign manager -- over the objections of his treasurer -- because, according to the document, he said the family needed "the extra money that would come from her salary."

Prosecutors said Hunter also allowed the alleged theft to take place by "ignoring his campaign staff's multiple warnings about Margaret Hunter's improper use of campaign funds." He lashed out at aides, the indictment says, by accusing them of disloyalty and "trying to create some kind of paper trail on me."

The indictment makes it clear that the Hunters were in dire financial straits and could not have supported their lifestyle without the use of those campaign funds.

The Hunters overdrew their personal bank accounts more 1,100 times in a seven-year period, according to the indictment from the US Attorney's Office in San Diego, resulting in $37,761 in "overdraft" and "insufficient funds" bank fees.

"By virtue of these delinquencies -- as well as notifications of outstanding debts and overdue payments from their children's school, their family dentist, and other creditors -- the Hunters knew that many of their desired purchases could only be made by using campaign funds," the indictment says.

The Justice Department said the Hunters are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning in federal court in San Diego.

A spokesperson for Duncan Hunter said the congressman believes the indictment against him and his wife is "purely politically motivated."

Hunter's team asked DOJ to recuse two prosecutors who they say attended a Clinton campaign event in La Jolla. According to letters to DOJ released by Hunter's team, US Attorney Adam Braverman determined recusal was not necessary.

A letter to US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein accuses DOJ of a truncated process and timing that will "hand" Democrats a victory in Hunter's Republican district.

Multiple sources familiar with the case tell CNN that the decision to indict was made by Braverman, who was appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year. Assistant US attorneys act at Braverman's direction and there's no connection between this case and the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the US attorney's office said, "The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California and the Department of Justice in Washington, DC reviewed and rejected Mr. Hunter's complaints. The prosecutors attended the event at the invitation of the Secret Service. The Secret Service, for many years, has routinely invited prosecutors to attend events involving their protectees in support of the Service's law enforcement mission."

Republican Party leaders had long worried that with a potential indictment looming, Hunter's traditionally safe district, which makes up much of eastern San Diego County, could be at risk of Democratic takeover in November's midterm election.

Senior White House officials were aware of the impending announcement and bracing for the Hunter news to join a slew of bad news stories that have hit the White House all at once, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Hunter was a founding member of the "Trump Caucus" in the House during the 2016 campaign, and alongside Rep. Chris Collins, was the first of two sitting congressmen to endorse Trump for President back in February 2016. Collins was indicted earlier this month on insider trading charges.

In a statement on Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan called the charges against Duncan "deeply serious" and said he will be removed from his committee assignments "pending the resolution of this matter."

Rep. Steve Stivers, who heads the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement, "These are troubling charges leveled against Congressman Hunter. I trust our judicial system and eagerly await more facts surrounding the case."

Allegations of lavish spending

Hunter's campaign credit card allowed the family to take lavish vacations that they could not otherwise afford, according to the indictment filed Tuesday in federal court in San Diego.

Investigators found that Margaret Hunter concealed the name or location of their destination by purchasing tickets for personal vacations by using websites like Expedia. Among the trips using campaign funds: a 2015 family vacation in Italy over Thanksgiving totaling more than $14,000; an April vacation in Hawaii costing $6,500; and a $3,700 trip to Las Vegas and Boise in July 2015.

In addition to family trips to fast food and fine dining establishments, as well as venues like the Del Mar Racetrack, the Hunters allegedly also spent thousands of dollars of campaign funds on routine purchases for personal items at Costco ($11,300), Walmart (more than $5,700), Barnes & Noble, Target and Michael's craft store.

In one of Margaret Hunter's trips to Target, she allegedly spent more than $300 in campaign funds for "a tablecloth, three square pillows, a three-brush set, a metal tray, four temporary shades, four window panels, a white duck, two Punky Brewster items, a ring pop and two five-packs of animals," according to court documents. She described the purchases as being needed for "teacher/parent & supporter events."

Hunter repeatedly pushed back on inquiries from his treasurer about his and his wife's spending. For example, the Hunters allegedly spent nearly $2,000 on a November 2010 birthday gift for a family member to attend a Pittsburgh Steelers game at Heinz Field. When questioned by his treasurer about whether the expense was campaign related, the congressman gave a curt response: "Yessir."

When the treasurer explicitly told the congressman in December 2010 that he could not use campaign funds "for a leisure outing at which the discussion occasionally focuses on the campaign," Hunter asked the treasurer if he was "trying to create some kind of paper trail" on him.

When the treasurer threatened to resign, Hunter promised that he would instruct his wife not to use the campaign credit card and put it in a safe place.

The indictment underscores that the Hunters also spent campaign money to entertain friends, family members and associates, many of whom are not named in the court documents.

In one instance in January 2010, the congressman allegedly spent more than $1,000 for a three-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino for what was described as a "personal ski trip" with a person identified in the indictment only as "Individual 14."

The indictment states that in June 2011, Hunter used $162 in campaign funds "for a personal stay at the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel with Individual 14."

When the campaign fell short at the end of 2012, and the treasurer informed Hunter they could not pay outstanding bills, Hunter allegedly told his aide that he would raise between $11,000 and $15,000 from campaign donors to address the shortfall by the middle of the next month.

Hunter, a former Marine, has reimbursed his campaign account some $65,000 since the Federal Election Commission first questioned spending on video games in 2016, according to FEC records.

"There was wrong campaign spending, but it was not done by me," Hunter told KGTV-10, a San Diego television station, earlier this year.

Hunter's lawyers said last year that "any mistakes were made they were strictly inadvertent and unintentional."

Re-election fight

California's 50th District is a staunchly Republican district with many current and former military families. The congressman's father, Duncan L. Hunter, represented parts of the district (which changed after redistricting) and has rallied donors and supporters to his son's side.

Hunter's Democratic challenger, Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Department of Labor aide in the Obama administration, has repeatedly outraised him.

Many Hunter allies believe he will stay in his House seat while fighting the charges.

Even if federal candidates choose to withdraw from contention, their names will remain on the ballot unless they seek removal of their names from a judge, according to the California Secretary of State's Office.

At this late juncture, there is no possibility of a write-in campaign. Only Hunter and Campa-Najjar will appear on the November ballot, since they were the top vote-getters in California's top-two primary in June.</s>Aug. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret Hunter, were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for allegedly using campaign funds for personal use.

The court documents charge Hunter, a Republican representative from California, and his wife with 60 counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, falsification of records, and aiding and abetting prohibited use of campaign contributions, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

The couple spent $250,000 in campaign finances on personal expenses such as video games, private school tuition, oral surgery and utilities between 2009 and 2016, and falsified campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission to hide the spending, the filings allege.

In order to mask the spending the couple listed expenditures as charity donations, including filing dental bills as a charitable contribution to "Smiles for Life" and tickets to see Riverdance at the San Diego Civic Theater as a donation to "San Diego Civic Center for Republican Women Federated/Fundraising," the Los Angeles Times reported.

"The indictment alleges that Congressman Hunter and his wife repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts, and falsified FEC campaign finance reports to cover their tracks," U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said. "Elected representatives should jealously guard the public's trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain. Today's indictment is a reminder that no one is above the law."

Hunter began reimbursing the campaign in 2010 and by November 2017 had repaid more than $60,000 for what his campaign described as "personal, mistaken and insufficiently documented expenditures."

"In order to lower suspicions and reduce the risk of detection, Duncan Hunter decided that they would use personal funds to repay the campaign for Margaret Hunter's purchases," the indictment states.

The indictment also states the couple had nearly reached five-figure limits on most of their credit cards and lived far beyond their means during the period in question.

"Throughout the relevant period, the Hunters spent substantially more than they earned," it stated. "They overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period, resulting in approximately $37,761 in 'overdraft' and 'insufficient funds' bank fees."

Hunter's campaign issued a statement Tuesday alleging the federal attorneys involved in the indictment attended a "Hillary Clinton for President" fundraiser on Aug. 27, 2015, and were politically motivated to indict him due to his support for President Donald Trump.

Hunter's attorney, Gregory Vega, said the indictment "reflects a loss of impartiality and appears to be an effort to derail" Hunter's efforts to be re-elected in the upcoming midterm elections.</s>Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and his wife were indicted Tuesday, Aug. 21 on charges they used more than $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, from video games and groceries to a European vacation, private school tuition and dental work.

Hunter, 41, who represents two-thirds of Temecula, and wife Margaret “repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts, and falsified (Federal Election Commission) campaign finance reports to cover their tracks,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said in a news release.

“Elected representatives should jealously guard the public’s trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain,” Braverman said. “Today’s indictment is a reminder that no one is above the law.”

Hunter campaign spokesman Steven Kane accused the U.S. Justice Department of “(weaponizing) the criminal justice system” and suggested the indictment is an attempt by prosecutors to thwart the will of voters.

“This is a political prosecution” launched by prosecutors who donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Kane said.

The CA 50th district that Hunter represents is considered to be safely Republican. But with the investigation hanging over Hunter’s head, nonpartisan political forecasters have said it might be in play; Hunter faces a well-funded challenge from Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar in November.

The Campa-Najjar campaign could not be reached immediately for comment.

“From flying his pet rabbit across the country to a six figure bar tab it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Duncan Hunter’s time living large off his campaign donors has ended in an indictment,” said Meredith Kelly, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a prepared statement.

“Hunter’s misuse of $250,000 worth of campaign funds for personal expenses and the filing of false campaign finance records is emblematic of the corruption and twisted priorities of today’s Republican Party.”

State election rules almost certainly will require that Hunter’s name appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot with no write-in option available.

The Hunters, who have three children, are scheduled to be arraigned at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in federal court in San Diego. They faces charges of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; wire fraud; falsification of records; prohibited use of campaign contributions and aiding and abetting.

Hunter has been under criminal investigation since June 2016, when The San Diego Union-Tribune started reporting a series of questionable expenses listed in the congressman’s campaign finance reports. Federal law forbids the use of campaign money for personal use.

The Hunters, prosecutors said, used campaign dollars for expenses they could not otherwise afford, including family vacations to Italy, Hawaii, Phoenix and Boise Idaho; dental work; theater tickets, and domestic and international travel for roughly a dozen relatives.

Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on video games, fast food, golf outings, movie tickets, coffee, groceries, home utilities and fine dining, federal prosecutors alleged in a 48-page indictment. Margaret Hunter, 43, worked on her husband’s campaign for a time.

In FEC filings, the couple mischaracterized their purchases as “campaign travel,” “dinner with volunteers/contributors,” “toy drives” and “teacher/parent and supporter events,” among other deceptions, prosecutors said. For example, family dental bills paid with campaign money were listed as a charitable donation to “Smiles for Life,” according to prosecutors.

The illicit spending continued “despite numerous warnings about the prohibition against using campaign funds for personal expenses and repeated inquiries from Duncan Hunter’s campaign treasurer about questionable purchases,” a U.S. Justice Department press release read.

Hunter repeatedly described the purchases as mistakes and oversights. After commissioning a campaign audit, he reimbursed his campaign almost $49,000 in November 2016.

“While the charges were primarily authorized by the campaign, the buck stops with me and I take full responsibility – including the responsibility to determine and implement other structural changes to ensure errors are not repeated,” Hunter said at the time.

Hunter is the son of longtime congressman Duncan Hunter. A Marine artillery officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hunter was first elected to Congress in 2008.

He established a reputation as an outspoken conservative and supporter of e-cigarettes. He once vaped during a congressional hearing on whether to ban e-cigarettes on airplanes. Hunter also was one of the first congressman to endorse then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Redistricting gave Hunter most of Temecula in 2011. The state’s 50th Congressional District also includes northern San Diego County.</s>U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and his wife Margaret were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for allegedly using more than $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, including family vacations, dental bills, theater tickets and international travel for relatives.

The indictment also accuses them of filing false campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission.

Federal prosecutors said they identified “scores of instances” between 2009 and 2016 in which the couple used campaign funds to pay for “personal expenses that they could not otherwise afford.”

Among the personal expenses they allegedly funded with campaign cash were family vacations to locations such as Hawaii and Italy, along with school tuition and smaller purchases such as golf outings, movie tickets, video games, coffee and expensive meals.

The couple allegedly misreported the expenses on FEC filings, using false descriptions such as “campaign travel,” “toy drives,” “dinner with volunteers/contributors” and “gift cards,” according to federal prosecutors.

“The indictment alleges that Congressman Hunter and his wife repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts, and falsified FEC campaign finance reports t, u.o cover their tracks,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said in a statement. “Elected representatives should jealously guard the public’s trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain.”

Duncan Hunter, 41, and Margaret Hunter, 43, are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.

Hunter, whose district includes Ramona, has been under scrutiny since April 2016, when the FCC and then The San Diego Union-Tribune began questioning campaign fund expenses. Spending campaign funds for personal use is banned by law. By November 2017, Hunter had repaid his campaign more than $60,000 for what his campaign described as “personal, mistaken and insufficiently documented expenditures.”

Hunter’s campaign released a statement after news of the indictment broke in which one of his attorneys, Gregory A. Vega, attacked the credibility of prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The statement said two prosecutors involved in the investigation attended a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in August 2015.

Vega called for the U.S. Department of Justice to recuse the prosecutors.

Morgan Cook with The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.</s>This story has been updated

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and his wife, Margaret, were indicted by a federal grand jury Aug. 21 for allegedly using more than $250,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, including family vacations, dental bills, theater tickets and international travel for relatives.

The indictment also accuses them of filing false campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission.

Federal prosecutors said they identified “scores of instances” between 2009 and 2016 in which the couple used campaign funds to pay for “personal expenses that they could not otherwise afford.”

Among the personal expenses they allegedly funded with campaign cash were family vacations to locations such as Hawaii and Italy, along with school tuition and smaller purchases such as golf outings, movie tickets, video games, coffee and expensive meals. The indictment alleges that at one point, Hunter used campaign cash to fly his pet rabbit to a family vacation.

The couple allegedly misreported the expenses on FEC filings, using false descriptions such as “campaign travel,” “toy drives,” “dinner with volunteers/contributors” and “gift cards,” according to federal prosecutors.

“The indictment alleges that Congressman Hunter and his wife repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts, and falsified FEC campaign finance reports to cover their tracks,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said in a statement. “Elected representatives should jealously guard the public’s trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain.”

Duncan Hunter, 41, and Margaret Hunter, 43, are scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 23. They are accused of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, wire fraud, falsification of records and prohibited use of campaign contributions.

Hunter’s reelection campaign issued a statement condemning the indictment as politically motivated. Hunter — like President Donald Trump — has been critical this year of the Justice Department, calling it “corrupt, answerable to no one and (using) the law to extort the American people and effect political change.”

His campaign blasted the timing of the indictment — about two months before the November runoff election — saying it “appears to be an effort to derail Congressman Hunter’s reelection in the Nov. 6, 2018, election.”

Democrats have been targeting Hunter as a potentially vulnerable candidate, thanks primarily to the federal investigation against him, even though the district has been a longtime Republican stronghold. Hunter’s father previously held the seat representing much of the East County, as well as Fallbrook, San Marcos, Valley Center and Escondido.

In November, Hunter will be facing Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Department of Labor spokesman during the Obama administration.

“Today’s indictment confirms just how deep this corruption can reach when someone like Duncan Hunter Jr. is in it for himself instead of representing the people,” Campa-Najjar said.

Jim Brulte, chairman of the California Republican Party, urged against a rush to judgment.

“In our country, individuals are presumed innocent until a jury of their peers convict them,” he said in a statement. “Our founding fathers believed so strongly in freedom of religion that they gave us one amendment. They believed so strongly in the right to keep and bear arms that they gave us one amendment. They believed so strongly in civil liberties and legal

 protections of individuals that they gave us five amendments to the Constitution. The congressman and his wife have a constitutional promise to their day in court and we will not prejudice the outcome.”

Hunter was elected to Congress in 2008, after his father opted not to seek reelection.</s>Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted Tuesday on charges related to the misuse of $250,000 worth of campaign funds for personal expenses and the filing of false campaign finance records.

The charges of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy were the culmination of a Department of Justice investigation that has stretched for more than a year, during which the Republican congressman from California has maintained his innocence.

The Justice Department said the Hunters are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning in federal court in San Diego.

Republican Party leaders had long worried that with a potential indictment looming, Hunter’s traditionally safe district, which makes up much of eastern San Diego County, could be at risk of Democratic takeover in November’s midterm election.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in unusual charges on Hunter’s campaign credit card had come under scrutiny, including among other things, an Italian vacation, dental work, purchases at a surf shop, and huge tabs at bars in restaurants in the San Diego and Washington, DC, areas. Among the most mocked charges was airfare for a pet rabbit to fly with the family, which an aide said was mistakenly charged to the wrong credit card.

Hunter, a former Marine, has reimbursed his campaign account some $65,000 since the Federal Election Commission first questioned spending on video games in 2016, according to FEC records.

“There was wrong campaign spending, but it was not done by me,” Hunter told KGTV-10, a San Diego television station, earlier this year.

His comments have cast blame on his wife and former campaign manager, Margaret Hunter, who also made charges on the campaign credit card.

Hunter’s lawyers said last year that “any mistakes were made they were strictly inadvertent and unintentional.”

California’s 50th District is a staunchly Republican district with many current and former military families. The Congressman’s father, Duncan L. Hunter, represented parts of the district (which changed after redistricting) and has rallied donors and supporters to his son’s side.

Hunter’s Democratic challenger, Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Department of Labor aide in the Obama administration, has repeatedly outraised him.

Many Hunter allies believe he will stay in his House seat while fighting the charges.

Even if federal candidates choose to withdraw from contention, their names will remain on the ballot unless they seek removal of their names from a judge, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office.

At this late juncture, there is no possibility of a write-in campaign. Only Hunter and Campa-Najjar will appear on the November ballot, since they were the top vote-getters in California’s top-two primary in June.</s>Margaret Hunter is the wife of Duncan Hunter, the California Rep. who is being charged on 60 counts by a federal grand jury. Margaret is being charged alongside her husband for the charges, which claim extensive misuse of campaign funds for personal matters.

Margaret Hunter and her husband are accused of spending over $250,000 in campaign funds on personal matters. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Margaret Hunter Was the Campaign Manager for Duncan Hunter

Hunter was her husband’s campaign manager, which is why she, too, is being charged with counts alongside him. Hunter reportedly used her campaign’s credit card for non-campaign expenses, which was uncovered after Politico interviewed dozens of lawmakers, former staffers and congressional aides.

Some of the expenses Margaret made included trips to surf shops and family vacations, per NBC San Diego.

2. Margaret & Duncan Hunter Used Campaign Money to Pay for Personal Expenses

The Hunters reportedly used campaign funds to pay for family vacations, including trips to Italy, Hawaii, Phoenix, Arizona and Boise, Idaho, among other places.

In addition to their trips, they also paid for international travel for other relatives, as well as school tuition, dental work, and small purchases that included groceries, utility bills, expensive meals, and more.

3. The Hunters Collectively Face 60 Counts That Include Conspiracy to Wire Fraud, Falsification of Records, & Prohibited Use of Campaign Funds

In the 47-page indictment against them, Margaret and Duncan Hunter face over 60 counts, many of them on the federal level. Via the San Diego Union Tribune, the indictment reads, “Throughout the relevant period, the Hunters spent substantially more than they earned. They overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period, resulting in approximately $37,761 in ‘overdraft’ and ‘insufficient funds’ bank fees.”

4. Margaret Hunter Counseled Her Husband to Describe a Purchase of Hawaiian Shorts as ‘Golf Balls for the Wounded Warrior Project’

The indictment lists a series of instances in which the Hunters appeared to have knowingly used campaign funds for their own personal expenses. In one instance as relayed by USA Today, Margaret Hunter allegedly counseled her husband to lie about a purchase of shorts and instead say that he purchased golf balls for wounded warriors.

USA Today reports that the Hunters spent over $3,000 of campaign funds on fast food, $9,000 on food, wine and alcohol, and a $14,000 trip to Italy, to name some of the expenses. The indictment also claims that the Hunters described many of these expenses with “conflicting explanations,” even claiming many of the expenses were charitable donations.

You can read the full indictment below:

5. Margaret & Duncan Hunter Have Three Children Together: Duncan, Elizabeth & Sarah

Together, Margaret and Duncan have three children together, all of whom live in California. Prior to living in California, the Duncan family have lived in Oklahoma, Virginia and Idaho.</s>WASHINGTON — Representative Duncan Hunter was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Diego on Tuesday after a monthslong criminal investigation into allegations that he spent tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds on family trips to Hawaii and Italy, private school tuition for his children and even a $600 airline ticket for a pet rabbit.

In a 48-page indictment released by the Justice Department, Mr. Hunter, Republican of California, and his wife, Margaret, are charged with converting more than $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for personal expenses and filing false campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission.

Mr. Hunter, 41, becomes the second Republican congressman to be indicted this month. Representative Chris Collins, Republican of New York, was indicted on insider trading charges, and announced days later that he had suspended his re-election campaign. The two were the earliest congressional supporters of the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump.

There was no immediate comment from Mr. Hunter or his representatives. Mr. Collins, who is accused of passing insider information to his son about a drug company on whose board he served, has said he expects to be “fully vindicated and exonerated.”</s>SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday night, Republican California Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. was indicted on a series of counts ranging from conspiracy to campaign finance laws, all stemming from the congressman’s alleged widespread misuse of campaign cash to pay for his personal life.

The 47-page charging document — which lays out the allegations against Hunter and his wife — is absolute fire, portraying a totally out-of-control member of Congress operating in an ethics-free zone. CNN went through the indictment and plucked out the most amazing moments. They’re below.

1. “Throughout the relevant period, the Hunters spent substantially more than they earned. They overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period resulting in approximately $37,761 in ‘overdraft’ and ‘insufficient funds bank’ fees.”

Holy crap! In a seven-year period, the Hunters allegedly overdrew their bank account more than 1,000 times! Also, according to the indictment, Hunter had less than $1,000 in reportable assets listed on his personal financial disclosure forms for each year between 2009 and 2016. Talk about living beyond your means!

2. “The Hunters illegally converted and stole more than $250,000 in campaign funds to purchase goods and services for their personal use and enjoyment.”

I never understand this. If you want to use $250 from your campaign to buy a few personal items, I get how you can reasonably think you won’t get caught. But do you think no one will ever ask questions about $250,000?!?!

3. “Duncan Hunter facilitated the theft of campaign funds by ignoring his campaign staff’s multiple warnings about Margaret’s improper use of campaign funds, accusing campaign staff of disloyalty by ‘trying to create some kind of paper trail on me’ when they raised concerns about improper spending, and continually refusing to remove her access to campaign funds.”

Ah, the old I’m-not-doing-something-wrong-you’re-doing-something-wrong approach! Also, reminder: These people Hunter accused of “trying to create some kind of paper trail” worked for him at the time.

4. “The Hunters concealed and disguised the personal nature of many of their campaign expenditures by either falsely stating the expenses were ‘campaign related’ or by falsely reporting the item or service purchased when providing information to the Treasurer (by, for example, buying personal clothing items at a golf course so that the purchase could be falsely reported to the Treasurer as ‘balls for the wounded warriors’).”

Buying golf clothes for yourself and reporting it as buying golf balls for wounder warriors? Oooomph.

5. “The Hunters concealed and disguised the personal nature of their family’s purchases of video games using Campaign funds by falsely claiming to a financial institution that the payments were fraudulent charges and then reporting the purchases to the FEC and the public as fraudulent charges.”

Video games! And then tell your staff and the public you were hacked! Paging Anthony Weiner….

6. “The Hunters illegally used Campaign funds, among other things, to purchase the following: Hotel rooms, airline tickets and upgrades, meals and food, and entertainment expenses for vacations for themselves and their friends and family, including more than $14,000 for a family Thanksgiving vacation in Italy in November 2015; more than $6,500 for a family vacation to Hawaii in April 2015; more than $3,700 for a family vacation to Las Vegas and Boise in July 2015; more than $2,400 for a Las Vegas couples vacation in August 2011; and more vacations to destinations such as Lake Tahoe, Pittsburgh, London, and Washington.”

See point No. 1. These are people living way, way beyond their means. Hawaii in April, Vegas in July and Italy in November? Pretty nice year.

7. “Household and other personal items for their family from a wide variety of stores, such as Costco (where they spent more than $11,300 in Campaign funds), Walmart (where they spent more than $5,700), Barnes Noble (where they spent more than $2,500), Target (where they spent more than $2,300), Michaels craft store (where they spent more than $2,200), and other retailers such as Aaron Brothers, Party City, World Market, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, Penny, Sears, and Rite Aid.”

Look, I get it. Costco is awesome. And those damn massive jars of mustard cost more than you think. But who the hell spends $2,200 at Michaels? Seriously that sounds like a nightmare I had recently.

8. “On or about January 25, 2010, in Incline Village, Nevada, Duncan Hunter spent $1,008.72 in campaign funds 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. On this day, the Hunter family bank account had a negative balance and incurred six separate insufficient funds fees (totaling $198). Also on this same day, Duncan Hunter withdrew $20 from his personal bank account, leaving a balance of $15.02.”

That last line is a dagger. He took $20 out and has $15 — total! — in the family bank account.

9. “On or about April 2, 2010, Duncan Hunter claimed a $257.40 reimbursement from Campaign funds for driving his car on a 468-mile trip to Virginia Beach with Individual 14, Congressman A, and Congressman A’s date despite the fact that they did not use Duncan car on the trip.”

Wait, you have to use the actual car to get reimbursed for the miles? Huh!

10. “On or about May 19, 2010, in Santee, California, Margaret Hunter spent $307.72 in campaign funds at Target to purchase a tablecloth, three square pillows, a three-piece brush set, a metal tray, four temporary shades, four window panels, a white duck, two Punky Brewster items, a ring pop, and two five-packs of ‘animals.’ In order to conceal and disguise this illegal charge, Hunter falsely told the Treasurer that it was for ‘teacher/parent supporter events.'”

Punky Brewster! Soleil Moon Frye! What a blast from the past. Also, I’m interested in knowing more about this “white duck” purchase.

11. “On or about September 13, 2010, in San Diego, California, Duncan Hunter spent $164.29 in Campaign funds for, among other things, a round of golf and beer at Riverwalk Golf Club with Individual 1A. When asked by the Treasurer if this expenditure (among several others) was campaign related, Duncan Hunter falsely responded, ‘Yessir- All good.'”

The next time someone asks me if I just broke the law, I am going to respond “Yessir, all good.” Amazing.

12. “On or about December 22, 2010, after the Treasurer again warned the Hunters that ‘campaign funds may not be used for a leisure outing’ even if campaign business is occasionally discussed, Margaret Hunter told the Treasurer that she refused to provide the names of individuals she allegedly took out for meals with campaign funds because ‘that’s silly.'”

13. “On or about June 17, 2011 in La Mesa, California, Duncan Hunter spent $142.36 in campaign funds at the Men’s Wearhouse to ‘re-cut’ two pairs of pants. When this charge was uncovered by the Treasurer, Duncan Hunter falsely explained the charge: ‘Lol. Men’s warehouse was a possible semi-embarrassment that I had to let ride. I used the wrong card, then didn’t want to explain the forced refund…'”

Oh, I see. You didn’t want people to know you got your pants tailored at Men’s Wearhouse. Or you used the wrong card? Or something? “That’s silly.”

14. “On or about August 6 to 10, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada and elsewhere, the Hunters spent $2,448.27 in campaign funds on a personal vacation with Individuals 3A and 3B. During this vacation, the HUNTER family bank account began incurring insufficient funds fees until a check from Duncan parents was deposited into the account on August 10.”

A cringe-worthy detail. Even as Hunter was allegedly spending freely from campaign dollars, he was hitting his parents up for money.

15. “On or about September 12, 2011, despite opposition by his Treasurer and individuals in his Washington, DC. office, Duncan Hunter hired Margaret Hunter as his ‘Campaign Manager’ at a salary of $2,000 per month.”

This is a move made out of desperation given the Hunters’ personal financial situation. And it’s one that in retrospect made things much, much worse.

16. “On or about September 16 to 19, 2011, in Boise, Idaho and elsewhere, the Hunters spent an additional $640.05 in Campaign funds for a family vacation centered on a family member’s participation in a dance competition.”

Oh yeah, I’ve seen that one.

17. “On or about February 8 and 16, 2012, the Hunters spent $306.80 in campaign funds at United Airlines for additional charges related to a ticket for Margaret’s mother to fly from San Diego to Chicago. In response to whether the charge was campaign related, Duncan Hunter told his Treasurer: ‘Yes sir.'”

18. “On or about October 30, 2012, following an article in the San Diego Reader publicizing Margaret’s salary and various expense reimbursements, Duncan Hunter relieved her of her formal duties with the campaign. Although the campaign was in dire financial condition, and had just canceled a pre-election mailer due to insufficient funds, Duncan Hunter continued to pay Margaret Hunter a salary from campaign funds and allowed her to keep her campaign credit card.”

So, the congressman fires his wife as campaign manager after getting some bad press. But he keeps paying her! And lets her still have access to a campaign credit card! (Here’s the original San Diego Reader story.)

19. “On or about December 13, 2013, in Reston, Virginia, Duncan Hunter spent $63.57 in campaign funds at Best Buy to purchase a pair of gloves and a car charger for an upcoming trip to Pittsburgh.”

Who the heck buys gloves from a Best Buy?

20. “On or about December 30, 2013, after considering the benefits of bringing more money to the household on a basis, Duncan Hunter hired Margaret Hunter back as Campaign Manager at a salary of $2,500 per month (although the Campaign ended up actually paying her $3,000 per month).”

21. “On or about July 9, 2014, the Hunters spent $250 in campaign funds at United Airlines to fly a family pet to Washington, DC. for a family vacation.”

You can’t go on a true family vacation without the family pet!

22. “On or about October 22, 2014, in San Diego, California, Duncan Hunter spent $204.34 in campaign funds for two greens fees, food, and drinks at the Rancho Bernardo Golf Resort, during a personal golf outing with friends, including Individual 1A. To conceal and disguise his illegal activity, he misled his Chief of Staff by describing his regular golf outing with Individual 1A as ‘a Christian thing’ with a supporter.”

23. “On or about March 20, 2015, when Duncan Hunter told Margaret Hunter that he was planning ‘to buy my Hawaii shorts’ but had run out of money, she counseled him to buy the shorts at a golf pro shop so that they could falsely describe the purchase later as ‘some [golf] balls for the wounded warriors.'”

Of all the things the Hunters have allegedly done wrong, this one is, by far, the worst.

24. “On or about July 29, 2015, in Chula Vista, California, Margaret Hunter spent $253.62 in Campaign funds at SeaWorld’s Aquatica Family Waterpark to entertain family members. To conceal and disguise this illegal payment, she suggested to the Treasurer that the charges should be classified as an ‘educational tour’ as they were related to a ‘daylong entrance and educational meet on their issues and programs.'”

Epic — and I mean truly epic — spin here.

25. “On or about August 17, 2015, Margaret Hunter spent $152.25 in campaign funds at to make an online purchase of cosmetics. To conceal and disguise this illegal charge, she falsely told the Treasurer that the charge was for ‘gift basket items Boys and Girls Clubs of San Diego.'”

26. “On or about September 26, 2015, in Anaheim, California, the Hunters spent $229.44 in Campaign funds at Disneyland’s Star Trader shop on gifts, including two Minnie Mouse Ear headbands, a Star Wars droid knit beanie, and a raglan-sleeve black-and-gray Star Wars girls T-shirt. In order to conceal and disguise this transaction, Margaret Hunter falsely informed the Treasurer that the charge was for ‘food/bev.'”

Tell me more about this Star Wars droid knit beanie…

27. “On or about November 23, 2015 in an attempt to justify the use of campaign funds to pay for the family’s trip to Italy, Duncan Hunter attempted to set up a day tour of a US naval facility in Italy. After Navy officials responded that they could only provide a tour on a particular date, Duncan Hunter said he would discuss the proposed date with Margaret Hunter, then subsequently told his Chief of Staff, ‘tell the Navy to go f*** themselves [no alteration in original],’ and no tour occurred.”

28. “On or about February 1, 2016, in response to questions raised by the Treasurer for about ten months, Margaret Hunter falsely claimed for the first time that the Steam Games charges were fraudulent.”

29. “On or about March 4, 2016, in Washington, DC, Duncan Hunter spent $462.46 in Campaign funds for 30 shots of tequila and one steak at El Tamarindo restaurant during Individual 8’s bachelor party.”

Uh, waiter, yes I’d like to make an order please. Can I have 30 shots of tequila? Also, one steak. Thanks!

30. “On or about December 31, 2016, in Alpine, California, Duncan Hunter authorized Margaret Hunter to continue receiving a salary for purportedly being the Campaign Manager.”
U.S. Representative Duncan D. Hunter (R–CA) and his wife are charged with wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy. In the indictment unsealed today, federal prosecutors allege that the Hunters illegally used campaign funds to pay personal bills.