Congressman will repay $49,000 after spending campaign money on garage door, Disneyland, 16 trips to Jack in the Box


Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) agreed Thursday to reimburse his campaign account $49,000 after spending on everything from oral surgery to a garage door to fast food, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Hunter made national headlines last February when he became one of the first congressmen to endorse Donald Trump in the Republican primary; he made national headlines again in April when it turned out he had used campaign money to buy video games and other personal items after allegedly mixing up his two blue credit cards.
On Thursday, Hunter told the local newspaper that "while the charges were primarily authorized by the campaign, the buck stops with me and I take full responsibility — including the responsibility to determine and implement other structural changes to ensure errors are not repeated. In taking these steps, I am fully confident that the right oversight and controls are now in place."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Hunter launched an independent audit to reveal the unauthorized spending that he agreed to reimburse. Among the expenditures were 16 trips to Jack in the Box totaling $297, 40 trips to grocery stores totaling $6,819, and a $229 expense at a Disneyland store for "food/beverages," although the store's only edible items are Pez and a Star Wars-themed Rice Krispy treat.
A payment of $216 to a Florence, Italy, jewelry store for "food/beverages" will also be repaid, as will $2,000 spent on restaurants, hotels, and train travel in Italy over Thanksgiving weekend in 2015.
"I decided, out of an abundance of caution, to treat any expense without adequate support as necessary for reimbursement," Hunter said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
A magical underwater world at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
The Week Recommends Watch the colourful marine life while you dine or from the comfort of your bed at this seriously swanky resort
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literature
Speed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91
Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year