A GOP congressman well-known for vaping during a hearing in Washington is under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over possible campaign violations.
The House Ethics Committee had previously been investigating claims that Rep. Duncan Hunter used campaign funds to pay for thousands of dollars worth of personal expenses, but this week voted to defer to the Department of Justice, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
While Hunter eventually repaid nearly $60,000 to his campaign after reports pointed out his questionable spending habits, the Office of Congressional Ethics in August recommended a full-scale investigation into the politician.
The Justice Department, however, requested the Ethics Committee hold off so it could begin its own criminal probe into the lawmaker, according to a statement cited by Politico.
Hunter’s attorneys maintained the politician had done nothing wrong and that any improper use of his campaign funds were “inadvertant and unintentional.”
“Last year, Congressman Hunter became aware of expenditure issues confronting his campaign committee,” lawyers Eliot Berke and Gregory Vega said in a statement to the political website. “Out of an abundance of caution, he took corrective action in consultation with the (Federal Election Commission) and, ultimately he and his wife personally repaid the campaign approximately $60,000.”
Some of the expenses included airline fees for in-cabin transportation for the family’s pet rabbit, purchases from a Disneyland gift shop, oral surgery, a hotel in Italy, his child’s private school tuition and a family trip to Hawaii, the Tribune reported.
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington — the agency that issued the complaint prompting the investigation — in a statement Thursday blasted the Republican.
“Rep. Hunter has shown a blatant disregard for the rules, spending thousands of dollars from his campaign for his person benefit,” CREW Executive Director told the newspaper. “This is the most egregious Congressional spending scandal since Aaron Schock.”
