REP. HUNTER COULD BE NAMED SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

By Miriam Raftery

November 15, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) could be the next Secretary of Defense.  His name, along with several others, appears on a list of possible Defense Secretary nominees who could be appointed by President-Elect Donald Trump, Politico reports.

Hunter, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, serves on the House Armed Services Committee that his father of the same name long chaired.  Considered a hawk on military matters, Hunter once called for use of nuclear buster bombs against Iran.

The four-term Congressman is an early Trump backer who has not wavered in his support.  After a tape surfaced in which Trump admitted in crude terms to groping women, Hunter excused the remarks as similar to conversations he and other soldiers while deployed in a war zone.

Hunter has had his own share of scandals. He recently announced he will be repaying over $49,000 to his campaign for personal expenses including an Italian vacation, expensive jewelry purchases, video games and payments to his children’s school, among other items inappropriately charged to his campaign in violation of federal law. Hunter was also named the number one party animal in Congress by Washingtonian magazine.

Should Hunter be appointed, it would leave a vacancy that under the Constitution can only be filled by election. A special election, since it’s early in Hunter’s term, would be called but that process takes several months. His district, which includes parts of San Diego and East County, would be without voting representation in the House of Representatives during that time. However, Hunter’s staff would remain in place to assist with constituent casework and respond to questions about legislation during that time.