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By Miriam Raftery
File photo at an earlier hearing, courtesy of Ken Stone, Times of San Diego
March 17, 2020 (San Diego) – Disgraced former Congressman Duncan D. Hunter was sentenced today in federal court after pleading guilty in December to a felony count of conspiracy to spend campaign funds for personal use.
Hunter will have until May 29 to report to federal prison, where he will serve an 11-month term. Known for heavy partying in Washington D.C., Hunter must also undergo and alcohol and drug treatment program. In addition, after his release he will be on three years of supervised probation.
The location where Hunter will serve his sentence has not yet been announced. Judge Thomas Whelan left open the possibility of a later start to Hunter’s imprisonment if warranted by the COVID-19 emergency.
The prosecution had sought a 14-month term behind bars, while Hunter’s attorneys sought home detention and community service instead of prison time.
Hunter, a conservative Republican who has represented the 50th Congressional District since 2008, resigned in January after his guilty plea.
Previously he had staunchly maintained his innocence and at times, blamed his wife for the misspending of funds on a lavish personal lifestyle, despite prosecutors’ evidence that Hunter spent some campaign funds on overnight trysts and trips with multiple mistresses.
U.S. Attorney Phillip Halper stated in his sentencing recommendation, “As part of a disingenuous attempt to deflect attention away from his own criminal conduct, Hunter repeatedly attacked this nation’s very system of government, including Congress, the FBI, the Department of Justice in general, and individual federal prosecutors in particular.”
Hunter has said he pleaded guilty in hopes of sparing his wife, Margaret, and their three children. Margaret pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to spend campaign funds on personal use, but has not yet been sentenced. Hunter asked the judge for no prison time for Margaret.
Hunter’s father, former Congressman Duncan Hunter Sr., has denounced the investigation against his son as politically motivated.
The accusations against the Hunters for stealing a quarter million dollars in campaign funds and the sentence of the disgraced Congressman today have made headlines nationwide.
In Atlanta, a Twitter user who says he is a former comedy writer for David Letterman offer up this timely tip amid the coronavirus criisis: “Duncan Hunter shouldn’t think of it as a year in the slammer, but rather 11 months of free quarantine.”
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