Former California Rep. Duncan Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison for violating campaign finance law.
The sentence was handed down by Judge Thomas Whelan in San Diego Tuesday morning. Hunter, a Republican, pled guilty in December to charges that he used campaign funds for a wide array of personal expenses. He resigned his seat in early January.
Hunter’s indictment accused him of using over $250,000 in campaign contributions for personal matters, including a vacation to Italy, private school tuition, and dental work, as Vox’s Tara Golshan explained at the time:
After a yearlong Department of Justice investigation, Hunter was also charged with wire fraud and falsifying documents. Now he’s going to prison, but not necessarily right away. Because of the strain the coronavirus pandemic has had on the California court system, Judge Whelan said that Hunter wouldn’t have to turn himself in until late May.
Despite being under indictment, Hunter persisted in his reelection campaign in 2018, narrowly winning his House race against Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar. Voters will decide who fills his now-vacated seat this fall between Campa-Najjar and former Republican Rep. Darrell Issa.
Sourse: vox.com
