Embattled California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter is set to resign from Congress next Monday, Jan. 13, after pleading guilty last month to misusing campaign funds.
Hunter, who represents parts of central and northeastern San Diego County, had long decried the charges against him as politically motivated, but in early December he struck a deal to plead to just one count of illegal use of campaign funds. He later said he would resign "shortly after the holidays."
Hunter and his wife were accused of having used over $250,000 in campaign funds for their own personal use, which included family meals, medical bills, vacations, school tuition and even flying the family's pet rabbit, Eggburt, across the country.
Last summer, Margaret Hunter agreed to a plea deal that required her to testify against her husband; the indictment also contained evidence of numerous extramarital affairs that the congressmen had.
Duncan Hunter, however, had maintained his innocence, but eventually agreed to a deal in order, he said, to spare his family, especially his children, from a public trial.
"Whatever my time in custody is, I will take that hit," Hunter told local TV station KUSI last month. "My only hope is that the judge does not sentence my wife to jail. I think my kids need a mom in the home."
In his resignation letter, submitted Tuesday to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, Hunter said he was most proud of his service on the House Armed Services Committee during his tenure. Hunter joined the Marine Corps after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was elected to Congress in 2008, succeeding his father, also named Duncan, in the solidly Republican seat.
Hunter — one of the first members of Congress to endorse President Trump — wasn't seriously challenged for reelection until 2018, when Democrats targeted his seat in the wake of the charges against him. In a district that Trump carried by 15 points, Hunter barely held on to his seat, winning by about 3 points.
Without Hunter on the ballot, Republicans should easily hold the seat; Newsom must call for a special election within 14 days of the vacancy. Among those seeking to replace him is former Rep. Darrell Issa, who served as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee before retiring in 2018.
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