Duncan Hunter - overdrew bank account multi times per day, used campaign funds to recut pants

[Demovictory9]

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."


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.'"
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/22/politics/duncan-hunter-indicted/index.html

[RockRaven]

1. How the heck are these people going to afford a defense attorney?

Please, please, please tell me using campaign funds is not allowed.

[TexasTowelie]

4. They can ask the court to appoint an attorney for their defense.

[joshcryer]

15. They are dead to rights. Look at 117 on the indictment:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics/read-duncan-hunter-indictment/index.html

The wife pines for the old treasurer they had because he didn't ask questions about expenditures.

As long as the treasurer is in on the conspiracy, no one can know what's up, but it looks like the treasurer they got was keeping tabs of everything to cover their own ass.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Give to the Duncan Hunter Shopping Spree and Travelling Bunny Fund

If only he had embraced truth in labeling.

That said, I wonder how many other R Congress critters are pooping like bunnies now.

[The Genealogist]

3. I wonder how many other Republican trump humpers have done crap like this

Using their campaign coffers as their own private bank accounts. I can't imagine why they are so eager to get reelected that they will lie and cheat to do it. Family values and personal responsibility in action!

[HipChick]

9. Pence was caught doing this...he used campaign funds as a ATM machine..

[gratuitous]

5. Remember when Newt and his bandits blew up the House bank?

The House of Representatives had its very own "bank," which was highly corrupt. Many members used it as a short-term loan factory, to be drawn on when cash flow was tight. The amounts weren't staggering (certainly not by today's numbers), but the appearance of a privileged loan company for House members wasn't a good look. Many House members (usually, but I don't recall exclusively) were Democrats, and when Newt ascended to the Speakership in the 1990s, he gleefully dismembered the House bank. Ethics prevailed! Huzzah! The Republic was saved.

EXCEPT . . .

Without the House bank, members who experienced tight cash flows turned to other sources to help tide them over. While getting caught out about your House bank activities was embarrassing, a congressman wasn't beholden to a special interest if his "loan" was outstanding for a while. The amounts weren't ginormous and paying the money back wasn't usually a problem. But without the House bank, the sums got larger and larger, the providers of the money got shadier and shadier, and how a congressman paid for those loans got more and more ethically suspect.

But it's all good; who among us hasn't gone into hock for a Punky Brewster item? Free Duncan!

[tblue37]

14. And a ring pop! nt

[Demovictory9]

6. more: but voted hardcore right on financial stuff for the rest of us, and on abortion, civil right

Voted YES on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached. (May 2013)
Voted YES on terminating the Home Affordable mortgage Program. (Mar 2011)
Voted YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending. (Jul 2009)
Voted NO on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures. (Mar 2009)
Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package. (Jan 2009)
Voted NO on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief. (Jan 2009)
Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution. (Jan 2011)
Reclaim all bonuses paid to AIG executives & employees. (Mar 2009)

[sarah FAILIN]

7. So he is also cheating on his wife with campaign funds..

Individual 14 is not the same as Margaret Hunter.

I wonder who Congressman A and his date were?

[PatSeg]

8. Whoa, that's insane

Totally reckless! They might as well have advertised that they were stealing from their donors. Its like a disease and there appears to be an epidemic right now. Stupid greedy people are so exhausting.

[joshcryer]

10. This kind of graft is extremely common.

Especially in local politics. Those people in your local government are all doing stuff like this. All of them. Only it's in much much smaller quantities. This guy was spending $3k a month for 7 years on stuff. He was going to get caught eventually.

I think it's hilarious that his son, of all people, using the credit card to buy Steam games is what raised the red flags. It shows that they were using the campaign funds card with no regard to the law.

I feel bad for anyone who donated to this dude for supporting his lavish lifestyle.

[Blue_true]

17. Don't feel bad for people that donated to that evil prick.

They gave him money BECAUSE he was evil. Screw them.

[joshcryer]

20. Surely some of them feel jilted.

Ripped off. Maybe they'll see the light.

[Blue_true]

21. Sorry Josh, I normally see your point. But in this case, screw them. nt

[joshcryer]

22. Fair enough.

But man is that indictment some fun reading.

I love, btw, that it was a reporter who called up various vendors they bought stuff at and determined that, for instance, a gift shop in Disney didn't have, yaknow, food, cause it's a gift shop.

[Initech]

11. Add "money management" to the growing list of things conservatives aren't good at!

I mean... damn!!!!

[madaboutharry]

12. Why are they broke?

The Congressional salary is $174,000 a year. Even given the cost of living in California, it is mind boggling that they literally didn’t have a nickel to their name. It’s crazy.

[George II]

13. I wonder if he's deep into check kiting, too?

[joshcryer]

16. "There's nothing illegal about being poor."

Watch video of him answering reporter questions here: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/sd-me-hunter-indict-20180821-story.html

(Scroll down, have to turn off ad block for it to play.)

[Blue_true]

18. $174,000 a year is poor? Knock me over with a feather.

I wonder how people that made $40,000 per year where he lived even managed to survive.

[Demovictory9]

19. yes, and he wasn't using campaign funds to pay for Ramen and beans.. he was living the high life