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By Miriam Raftery
September 2, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – A new TV ad takes aim at Republican Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, who has been indicted on criminal corruption charges along with his wife. View it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSPbbLKlQug&feature=youtu.be
“Every citizen has a responsibility to read this indictment. Forty-seven pages of corruption and greed. Duncan Hunter Jr. stealing campaign funds for lavish vacations and gifts, defrauding wounded warriors, insulting our military,” states the ad funded by Hunter’s opponent, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.
In an email sent to media, Campa-Najjar states, “We intend to run a campaign that is honest, fair and transparent. No one is above the law and we have a duty not to let those who make our laws get away with breaking them.”
He adds, “I give Speaker Ryan credit for stripping Hunter of his committee responsibilities and I have faith that the voters in my district will strip him of his responsibilities as Congressman. Integrity and responsibility isn't a Republican issue or Democratic issue - it's an American issue and I am ready to put country over party."
Hunter and is wife are accused by the Justice Department of embezzling a quarter of a million dollars to spend on a lavish personal lifestyle including vacations to Italy and Hawaii, airfare for a dozen relatives and a pet rabbit, children’s private school tuition, jewelry and more at a time when their personal accounts were over-extended.
According to prosecutors, some purchases were falsely listed for veterans’ and children’s charities when in fact, funds were used for items such as Hunter’s personal clothing and family dental bills. The indictment details discussions between Hunter and his wife, Margaret, also his campaign manager, on how to disguise personal purchases as charitable donations when funds were not used for the charities claimed, according to the prosecutors. A Grand Jury of 12 citizens also found the evidence sufficiently compelling to recommend indictments.
Hunter has called the felony charges a “witch hunt” and has claimed they were politically motivated, with his lawyer noting that two prosecutors attended a Hillary Clinton fundraiser, however the U.S. Secret Service has said the prosecutors were asked to attend to provide security and did not donate to the campaign.
The Justice Department is headed by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a Trump-appointed Republican. The U.S. Attorney heading up the San Diego office, Adam Braverman, was appointed by Sessions and won a Justice Department award last year for his work prosecuting members of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
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