DUNCAN HUNTER

GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter stole large amounts of the money he raised pay for everything from lavish vacations to groceries and multiple extramarital affairs.

Trump commuted his sentence in July just days before he was scheduled to report to federal prison. The president commuted her sentence; the White House said the commutation was supported by several former U.S. attorneys general. A White House news release praised the men as “model prisoners,” who had earned support and praise from other inmates. She was in the White House when Trump signed the overhaul measure, known as the First Step Act, into law. Black was a co-defendant in the case and was also convicted; Trump previously pardoned him.

Trump commuted his sentence in July just days before he was scheduled to report to federal prison. The president commuted her sentence; the White House said the commutation was supported by several former U.S. attorneys general. A White House news release praised the men as “model prisoners,” who had earned support and praise from other inmates. She was in the White House when Trump signed the overhaul measure, known as the First Step Act, into law. Black was a co-defendant in the case and was also convicted; Trump previously pardoned him.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued 26 pardons on Wednesday night, including ones to son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, and to his 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort and Republican political operative Roger Stone. "This is rotten to the core," Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said of the latest pardons, which were announced after Trump departed the White House for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. "Words cannot fully convey how grateful we are," the long-time Republican operative wrote. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally, had said in March 2019 that "pardoning Manafort would be seen as a political disaster for the president." Earlier this year, Trump commuted his longtime friend Stone's more than three-year sentence less than a week before the Republican operative was due to report to prison.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people, including Collins. Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty as part of Mueller’s investigation – pleading guilty to lying to the FBI – and served a nearly two-week sentence in federal prison. The White House said Stockman had contracted coronavirus while in federal prison and has served more than two years of his 10-year sentence. Esformes’ prison sentence was commuted by the president on Tuesday, but other aspects of his sentence, including supervised release and millions in restitution, remained intact. The White House said the commutation was supported by a number of former attorneys general and said Esformes is in declining health.

The pardons Wednesday of Manafort and Roger Stone, who months earlier had his sentence commuted by Trump, were particularly notable, underscoring the president's desire to chip away at the results and legacy of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Though the charges against Manafort did not concern the central thrust of Mueller's mandate — whether the Trump campaign and Russia colluded to tip the election — he was nonetheless a pivotal figure in the investigation. Manafort, in a series of tweets, thanked Trump and lavished praise on the outgoing president, declaring that history would show he had accomplished more than any of his predecessors. Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009. Trump’s legally troubled allies were not the only recipients of clemency.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, President Donald Trump pardoned 15 people, including Collins. Papadopoulos was the first Trump aide to plead guilty as part of Mueller’s investigation – pleading guilty to lying to the FBI – and served a nearly two-week sentence in federal prison. The White House said Stockman had contracted coronavirus while in federal prison and has served more than two years of his 10-year sentence. Esformes’ prison sentence was commuted by the president on Tuesday, but other aspects of his sentence, including supervised release and millions in restitution, remained intact. The White House said the commutation was supported by a number of former attorneys general and said Esformes is in declining health.

President Trump has begun granting pardons in his final days in office, including pardons for former congressmen Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins, as well as former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos and Alex van der Zwaan, convicted as a part of the Russia investigation. Hunter pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds, including to pay for vacations, and claimed the whole thing was a "witch hunt." Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about contacts he had with Russian agents while he was on the Trump campaign's payroll. Van der Zwaan pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to investigators regarding questions of Russian interference. Mr. Trump also commuted the sentence of Steve Stockman, a former congressman who pleaded guilty to counts of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

He and his allies have discussed a range of other possibilities, including members of Trump's family and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. Trump also commuted the sentences of five other people, including former Rep. Steve Stockman of Texas. Trump also announced pardons for two people entangled in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Trump has granted about 2% of requested pardons in his single term in office — just 27 before Tuesday's announcement. Bush, another one-term president, granted 10% of requests.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued pardons to 15 people, including two men convicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, and four former Blackwater USA guards who were convicted in the killings of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007. Trump also commuted all or some of the criminal sentences of five other people, as the president faces his last month in office. The president also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, a lawyer and Dutch national who pleaded guilty of lying to the FBI during the Mueller probe. Van der Zwaan was the first person convicted in the investigation, and was sentenced in 2018 to 30 days in jail. The other three men were convicted of manslaughter and other charges, and were re-sentenced last year to 15 years in prison, half of their original sentences.

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2019, file photo, former Republican congressman Darrell Issa speaks during a news conference in El Cajon, Calif. Former California Republican U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa made a successful comeback bid and will return to Congress after defeating Democratic opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar. Issa gave up his seat two years ago and then ran this year in the neighboring 50th District anchored in San Diego County. The former nine-term congressman and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump trailed early in the San Diego-area 50th District. Issa ran this year in the neighboring and more conservative 50th District anchored in eastern San Diego County. Issa was among a group of Republican congressional candidates who fared well even though President Donald Trump was trounced in California by Democrat Joe Biden.

And GOP candidates need to win back suburbanites who recoiled from the Trump agenda in 2018 and helped return the House to Democratic control. But Issa’s once strongly Republican district became increasingly friendly for Democrats and he nearly lost his seat in 2016 before deciding not to run in 2018. Democratic Rep. Harley Rouda captured the district in an upset of longtime Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in 2018, as suburban voters nationally rejected the Trump label. First-term Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros is looking to hold off Young Kim, the Republican he narrowly defeated two years ago to snatch the seat long held by Republican Rep. Ed Royce. Kim, a former legislator who was born in South Korea and grew up in Guam, has depicted the congressman as subservient to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Margaret Hunter, the wife of former California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, leaves a federal building Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in San Diego. She was sentenced Monday in federal court to eight months of home confinement in the corruption case that ended her husband's career. Last year, Margaret and Duncan Hunter each pleaded guilty to a single corruption count of misspending more than $150,000 in campaign funds. Margaret Hunter had served as campaign manager for her husband, who represented a district east of San Diego. Duncan Hunter had asked the court to spare the mother of his three children jail time when he was sentenced in March to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty.

After years of denying any wrongdoing, former Rep. Duncan Hunter has been sentenced to 11 months in prison and three years of supervised probation, according to NBC's San Diego TV station KNSD. They faced allegations of spending campaign funds on personal items such as vacations, gas, groceries -- and airfare for a pet rabbit. Federal Election Commission finance rules prohibit spending campaign funds for personal use. In an interview with KUSI News when he announced his plan to change his plea, Hunter said, "I think it's important that people know that I did make mistakes. Even after submitting his guilty plea, Hunter continued to receive his taxpayer-funded salary, which is about $477 per day, according to the Huffington Post.

Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter submitted his formal letter of resignation to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, a month after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal campaign funds in federal court. Margaret Hunter pleaded guilty in June. The congressman also used more than $1,000 in campaign funds to pay for a ski trip on 2010 with someone prosecutors described as "one of his girlfriends." Hunter, 42, faces up to five years behind bars when he's sentenced in March, but federal prosecutors are pushing for a little over a year. Hunter insisted for months that he was the target of a political "witch hunt," insisting the allegations lacked merit.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., resigned from Congress on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a single felony count of misuse of campaign funds in December. The House committee also threatened disciplinary action if Hunter ignored the warning and tried to vote. Even after submitting his guilty plea, Hunter continued to receive his taxpayer-funded salary, which is about $477 per day, according to the Huffington Post. They faced allegations of spending campaign funds on personal items such as vacations, gas and groceries. Federal Election Commission finance rules prohibit spending campaign funds for personal use.

He pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations on Tuesday. Hunter and his wife, who was also his campaign manager, were charged with federal campaign finance crimes in August 2018. After more than a year of denying that he broke the law, Hunter switched his not-guilty plea this week. His reversal also came nearly six months after his wife switched her plea. Like President Trump, Hunter frequently called the case against him a political witch hunt.

California Rep. Duncan Hunter who pleaded guilty in federal court to a single felony count of misuse of campaign funds said Friday that he will resign after the holidays. They were under fire for allegedly misusing campaign funds on personal items such as vacations, gas and groceries. In an interview with KUSI News when he announced he planned to change his plea, Hunter said, "I think it's important that people know that I did make mistakes. I justify my plea with the understanding that I am responsible for my own campaign and my own campaign money." Federal Election Commission finance rules prohibit using campaign funds for personal use.

Here are the stories you shouldnt miss today:TOP STORIESFrom Witch Hunt to Guilty PleaFor years, he called it fake news, a witch hunt and a product of the deep state. This morning, Rep. Duncan Hunter is scheduled to appear in federal court to plead guilty in a sweeping campaign finance investigation. But if their politics are similar, Biden and Buttigieg are 40 years apart in age and come in very different packages. Though it sounds like something that might be found on Batmans utility belt, the BolaWrap 100 will soon be in the hands of several hundred Los Angeles police officers for a 90-day test. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. (Paul Calvert / Los Angeles Times)CALIFORNIA Peter Lynn is stepping down as head of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority after five years as the face of bad news on the homelessness crisis.

U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter arrives at court where he was expected to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from allegations that he and his wife misused campaign funds in San Diego, California, U.S., December 3, 2019. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to a single felony count of misuse of campaign funds, Reuters reported. He and his wife were charged with 60 criminal counts of campaign finance violations in August 2018. They were under fire for allegedly misusing campaign funds on personal items such as vacations, gas and groceries. Read more: Indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter expected to plead guilty to campaign finance violationsHunter, who represents California's 50th Congressional District, indicated to KUSI News that he would not run for re-election.

California Rep. Duncan Hunter pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single charge of conspiring with his wife to use at least $150,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses under a plea deal that a former federal prosecutor called "great" for the congressman who had faced 60 counts. The charge carries up to a five-year sentence, but the deal calls for prosecutors to recommend much less when a judge sentences him in March. Former prosecutor Jason Forge said under the terms of the deal it's likely Hunter will serve about a year in prison and perhaps less. An early supporter of President Donald Trump's 2016 election bid, Hunter is the second Republican congressman to plead guilty to federal charges this year. His wife accepted a plea deal in June.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) arrives for a motions hearing in his upcoming campaign financing trial at federal court in San Diego, California, U.S. July 8, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo(Reuters) - U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, is scheduled to plead guilty on Tuesday to federal charges stemming from allegations that he and his wife misused $250,000 in campaign funds, court records showed on Monday. Hunters wife, Margaret, pleaded guilty in the case in June. The indictment returned against the couple in 2018 accused them of using his campaign accounts to pay for their childrens private school tuition, lavish travel and expensive meals at restaurants. It also alleged that the Hunters lied about how the money was spent, with the couple saying it went to charity or campaign events, while prosecutors said it was spent on personal expenses.

Hunter said in an interview that aired Monday that he will change his not guilty plea at a federal court hearing Tuesday. An early supporter of President Donald Trump, Hunter said he will plead guilty to one count of misuse of campaign funds. All three applauded Hunter's decision to plead guilty. Hunter is the second Republican congressman this year to plead guilty to federal charges. In October, former four-term Rep. Chris Collins of New York pleaded guilty in an insider trading case and resigned.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 10: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) speaks to the media before a painting he found offensive and removed is rehung on the U.S. Capitol walls on January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Ca, is expected to appear in federal court on Tuesday to plead guilty for spending more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The representative and his wife were charged with 60 criminal counts of campaign finance violations in August 2018. The couple allegedly misused campaign funds, spending it on vacations, gas, groceries and surgeries, among other personal expenses. Federal Election Commission finance rules prohibit using campaign funds for personal use.

Former Congressman Darrell Issa launched an exploratory committee in August to run for California's 50th Congressional District. SAN DIEGO - Former Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is expected to announce a bid to challenge Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is facing federal corruption charges, according to a Republican familiar with Issa's thinking. Issa launched an exploratory committee in August to run for California's 50th Congressional District. President Donald Trump last year nominated Issa to run the US Trade and Development Agency. Hunter agreed to step down from his congressional committee assignments after the indictment, which came months ahead of the 2018 election.

His lawyers plan Tuesday to ask a federal judge in San Diego who refused to toss the corruption case to push the Sept. 10 trial back to Oct. 29. Circuit Court of Appeals can rule on whether the charges should be dropped, according to court documents. Margaret Hunter pleaded guilty this summer to one corruption count and agreed to cooperate with investigators. The appellate court usually does not rule on an appeal in a criminal case before a trial. Hunter's lawyers say that if a trial happens, it should be moved out of San Diego to a more Republican friendly area.

Defense lawyers argued prosecutors were politically motivated when they indicted the 42-year-old congressman only months before the 2018 election and the case should be dismissed. They said the extensive press coverage and most of it negative will make it near-impossible to find impartial jurors in San Diego. Whelan pointed out the media coverage and editorials by The San Diego Union-Tribune did not stop him from winning re-election. But Whelan added that during jury selection, if the pool appears stacked against Hunter, the judge could consider again whether to move the trial. _____Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.

Prosecutors are seeking permission "to focus the jury's attention on Mr. Hunter's infidelity" with evidence that isn't necessary for a jury to evaluate the case, they wrote. In the motion, Hunter's lawyers argued that "whether or not Mr. Hunter has an intimate or strictly platonic relationship with a particular individual does not tend to prove any material point in the government's case." The said "nearly every expense" listed in the prosecutors' motion Monday seeking to introduce the evidence "was incurred in connection with a legitimate political activity." They said the allegations are so controversial "that merely filing the motion has tainted the jury pool against Mr. Separately, Hunter's lawyers are seeking to dismiss the indictment and move the trial out of San Diego County.

The government's filing suggested that Hunter tapped into campaign funds because he had no other money to finance his romantic relationships. Prosecutors said Hunter used campaign funds to rent a car, pay the hotel tab and fly back to Washington. He used campaign funds for cocktails and Uber rides. On Sept. 14, 2016, Hunter and another lobbyist engaged in "intimate personal activities unrelated to Hunter's campaign," prosecutors said. He used campaign funds to pay for an Uber to return to his office the next morning.