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Margaret Hunter and her husband, Rep. Duncan Hunter, face multiple charges of alleged misappropriation of thousands of campaign funds for their personal use. | Denis Poroy / AP Photo
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Margaret, the wife of Duncan Hunter's representative, who faces a string of federal criminal charges alongside California's Republican lawmaker for embezzling over $ 250,000 of campaign funds for personal gain, should plead guilty Thursday in federal court in San Diego.
This decision is a blow to Hunter, a six-member congressman who was indicted last August with his wife. Hunter, a former sailor and son of a longtime GOP legislator, has maintained his innocence. Hunter refused to answer questions about his wife's possible plea agreement during Wednesday's vote in the House.
History continues below
Hunter was re-elected in November in the very Republican District despite criminal charges, as did Representative Chris Collins (R-NY), accused of insider trading.
Federal prosecutors allege that over a seven-year period, from 2009 to 2016, the Hunters "illegally used campaign money to pay for their personal expenses that they could not otherwise afford." Purchases included family vacations in Italy, Hawaii, Phoenix, Arizona and Boise, Idaho; scholarship fees; dental work; theater tickets; and national and international trips for nearly a dozen parents. "
A brief entry into the role of the Federal Court in San Diego revealed that Margaret Hunter was to be the subject of a hearing for a change of plea, although it was not possible to immediately confirm which of the 60 charges of crime would have been admitted or if she would testify against her husband.
A plea change is often part of a cooperation agreement with prosecutors in exchange for testimony against other defendants, but Duncan Hunter's attorney declined to speculate on Wednesday whether such a negotiation had been concluded.
"We are aware that Ms. Hunter has scheduled a hearing to change her plea," said Greg Vega, Duncan Hunter's defense attorney. "At the moment, that does not change Congressman Hunter. There are still important motions to plead, in particular the clause of the speech or debate of the United States Constitution. The speech or debate clause prevents legislators and their assistants from prosecuting legitimate legislative activities. and senators.
When the Hunters were charged last summer, they both asserted their innocence in response to accusations that hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds were spent on holidays in Italy, purchases of 39, groceries and video games.
In public comments, however, Hunter seems to blame his wife quickly, pointing out that his role in managing his campaigns let him oversee what was being paid. "She was also the campaign manager, so whatever she did, we'll take that into account, I'm sure," Hunter said on Fox News shortly after the indictment. "But I did not do it. … I did not spend money illegally. "
A spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office in San Diego, who is handling the case against the couple, declined to comment on Wednesday. Margaret Hunter's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hunters were put together to face a jury trial in September.
Melanie Zanona contributed to this report.
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