The 1st and 2nd members of Congress to endorse Trump will plead guilty to federal crimes, resign


Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. (R-Calif.) said Monday he will plead guilty to one count of campaign finance violations on Tuesday and hinted he will step down from Congress, typically a precondition for the type of plea deal Hunter is accepting. Hunter is the second Republican member of Congress to plead guilty to federal crimes this fall, following Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), who pleaded guilty to insider trading charges and resigned in October. Coincidentally, Collins was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2016 and Hunter was the second.
Hunter, 42, was first elected to his San Diego district in 2008, taking over from his father, Duncan Hunter Sr., who held the seat since 1980. The Hunter dynasty almost ended in 2016 when the younger Hunter, already under indictment, narrowly won his seat against a political unknown, Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.
Hunter and his wife, Margaret Hunter, initially pleaded not guilty to about 60 counts of campaign finance violations tied to flagrant misuse of campaign funds on personal expenses. Margaret Hunter changed her plea in June and agreed to testify against her husband. Faced with Duncan Hunter's continued denial of guilt, prosecutors disclosed more details in court filings this year, including evidence that Hunter used campaign funds to conduct extramarital affairs with at least five women, reportedly including three lobbyists and two congressional staffers.
Subscribe to 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.
Trump had nothing to do with the crimes to which Hunter and Collins pleaded guilty — though he did complain about their indictments. But including last month's conviction of longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone, at least six Trump campaign associates have pleaded guilty or been convicted of federal crimes — Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos — and his current personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other associates are in the federal barrel now, too.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Discrimination: Expanding the definition
Feature The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a straight woman who sued her gay boss for discrimination
-
Crime: Why murder rates are plummeting
Feature Despite public fears, murder rates have dropped nationwide for the third year in a row
-
Education: America First vs. foreign students
Feature Trump's war on Harvard escalates as he blocks foreign students from enrolling at the university
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack
-
2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum
speed read The suspected gunman chanted 'free, free Palestine'
-
Bombing of fertility clinic blamed on 'antinatalist'
speed read A car bombing injured four people and damaged a fertility clinic and nearby buildings in Palm Springs, California
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival