</div></div></div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The 22-page agreement makes clear that Margaret Hunter has been cooperating with prosecutors for months — and her eventual sentence will reflect that help.</p> </div></div> <div class="inline-ad hddn-mble hddn-tbl"> <div class="wrapper clearfix pb-curated full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-nativo" data-pb-name="Nativo Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id="fg8f6m1W8uuAbs"> <div id="5961" class="trb_ar_nt" data-ad-lite="true"> </div> </div></div> <div class="inline-ad hddn-dktp"> <div class="wrapper clearfix pb-curated full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-nativo" data-pb-name="Nativo Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id="f9YNVU1U8uuAbs"> <div id="1570" class="trb_ar_nt_m" data-ad-lite="true"> </div> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > "The United States has made a preliminary determination that Defendant's cooperation will merit a five-level downward departure," one footnote to the agreement reads. "This recommendation, however, is contingent on her continuing to cooperate and provide a truthful and accurate recounting of all relevant events up to and including the time of her sentencing."</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Margaret Hunter waived all rights to appeal, the agreement states.</p> </div></div> <div class="mobile-nativo inline-ad hddn-dktp" data-inline-ad-count="3" > <div class="wrapper clearfix pb-curated full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-nativo" data-pb-name="Nativo Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id="fzOFQc1t9uuAbs"> <div id="6874" class="trb_ar_nt_m" > </div> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > According to the plea deal, Margaret Hunter acknowledged two specific elements of the conspiracy charge — one, that she knowingly and willfully converted campaign funds to criminal use and two, that she knowingly filed false records and concealed material facts.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Outside the courthouse, defense attorney Thomas McNamara read a brief statement from Margaret Hunter.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > "Earlier this morning I entered a guilty plea in the United States District Court," the statement began. "In doing so, I have fully accepted responsibility for my conduct. I am deeply remorseful and I apologize.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > "I am saddened for the hurt that I have caused my family and others," the statement continued. "I understand there will be more consequences stemming from my actions, but as demonstrated this morning in entering the plea, I have taken the first step to face those consequences."</p> </div></div> <div class="mobile-yieldmo inline-ad hddn-dktp" data-inline-ad-count="4" > <div class="wrapper clearfix col pb-curated pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-yieldmo" data-pb-name="Yieldmo Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id=""> <div id="ym_1082618974440896766" ></div> <script type=text/plain class="optanon-category-C0004"> window.serviceCallbacks.push(function() { if(DeviceDetection.any() && UrlParams.isVendorEnabled('yieldmo')) { (((window.trb || (trb = {})).ads || (trb.ads = {})).adLiteCheck || (trb.ads.adLiteCheck = [])).push(function(adLite, isStoryPage) { var el = document.getElementById("ym_1082618974440896766") if (adLite && el.closest('.mobile-yieldmo') && isStoryPage) { el.closest('.mobile-yieldmo').remove() } else if (!adLite && el.getAttribute('data-ad-lite') && isStoryPage) { el.closest('.inline-ad').remove() } else { if(true) { lazyLoadService.addPendingObject({ id: "ym_1082618974440896766", el: el, load: function() { YieldmoService.load({ id: "ym_1082618974440896766", el: el }) } }) } else { YieldmoService.load({ id: "ym_1082618974440896766", el: el }) } } }) } }) </script> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > McNamara declined to answer questions.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Both Hunters were named in a 60-count federal indictment in August alleging that together and separately they both relied on more than $250,000 donated to the congressman's re-election fund for personal expenses.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Among other things, the campaign funds paid for family vacations, tequila shots, golf outings, resort stays, fine dining and private-school tuition for their children, according to the indictment.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Margaret Hunter, who previously served as the paid treasurer for her husband's campaigns, twice used political donations to pay for airfare to Warsaw, Poland, for her mother, according to the indictment.</p> </div></div> <div class="mobile-dfp inline-ad hddn-dktp" data-inline-ad-count="5" > <div class="wrapper clearfix pb-curated full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-dfp" data-pb-name="DFP Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id="fp8yHf1xauuAbs"> <!-- Ad feature begins here --> <div class="pb-ad pb-ad-prod ad-300x250 hddn-dktp relativehddn-dktp" > <div class="ad-caption-text align-center uppercase">Advertisement</div> <div id="news_natworld_1672" class="hddn" data-optimera-measure="trb_ad_300x250_inlineAdCube_4_/nation-world/margaret-hunter-admits-guilt-in-campaign-finance-scandal" > </div> </div> <script type='text/javascript'> (function() { //FetchBids for all ads if (true && window.apstag && true && window.headertag) { let params = { id: 'news_natworld_1672', slotName: '/4011/trb.chicagotribune/news/natworld', includeInA9: true, includeInIndexExchange: true } const dimensions = !'[[300, 250]]'.length ? 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Hunter released a statement saying, "I do not have the full details of Margaret's case, but it's obvious that the Department of Justice (DOJ) went after her to get to me for political reasons. As Margaret's case concludes, she should be left alone. I am the congressman, this is my campaign and any further attention on this issue should be directed solely to me."</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The statement went on to repeat his claims that prosecutors are politically biased against him, that the criminal investigation was politically motivated and that the matter should have been handled by the Federal Election Commission, not the Justice Department.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The six-term congressman from Alpine has declined to comment about his wife's change in legal strategy, but his attorney said Wednesday the guilty plea would have no immediate effect on his client's case.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > "At this time, that does not change anything regarding Congressman Hunter," defense attorney Gregory Vega said in a statement before the hearing. "There are still significant motions that need to be litigated."</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Duncan Hunter, 42, who was stripped of all of his committee seats after the August indictment but was re-elected in November, did not appear at the courthouse Thursday. His next court date is July 1, and his trial is scheduled for September.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The absence was notable because the Hunters began their criminal defense last summer by appearing in court together to deny all charges.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > At more recent hearings, the Hunters arrived separately and did not sit together. The couple remain legally married and have three children.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > It was not immediately clear how the couple's marital standing could affect the case against the congressman.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Vega did not respond to questions about spousal privilege. Legal experts said the husband-and-wife relationship of the two defendants could complicate the prosecution.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The federal indictment issued in August came after two-plus years of scrutiny by federal campaign regulators and The San Diego Union-Tribune of Rep. Hunter's campaign spending.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > In filing after filing, Hunter disclosed spending that did not appear to satisfy federal campaign rules, including donations being used for video-game purchases, garage door repair, utility bills and more.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > The congressman once used campaign funds to pay for a plane ticket to fly his family's pet rabbit across the country.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Duncan Hunter originally said some of the questionable spending was done by mistake, at one point saying his son had selected the wrong credit card when he paid the video-game charges.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Later, he declared that he and his campaign team had vetted every expenditure and identified some payments that may not have qualified as campaign expenses. He ultimately repaid the fund about $60,000.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > But that did not quell the investigation — or continuing reports by the Union-Tribune about his specific expenses.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > Duncan Hunter dismissed the stories as "fake news" and said the newspaper was out to get him. After federal prosecutors opened their criminal investigation, Hunter declared he was being targeted by "deep state" partisans within the FBI and others in the U.S. government.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > In a previous interview with Fox News, Hunter laid the blame for any campaign-filing errors on his wife, who had been paid $3,000 a month to serve as campaign treasurer.</p> </div></div> <div data-type="recommender" data-pb-id="in-body-recommender" class="crd clln--it "> <div class="crd--cnt rcom-2020 "> <div id="pb-86933"> <div class="spc-86933" style="height: 450px;"> </div> </div></div> </div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" > "Whatever she did, that'll be looked at, too," Hunter said. "But I didn't do it. I didn't spend any money illegally."<br/><br/></p> </div></div> <div data-type="text" class="crd clln--it"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class="p-2020" class="stop-here"> <strong>Updates</strong></p> </div></div> <div class="mobile-dfp inline-ad hddn-dktp" data-inline-ad-count="6" > <div class="wrapper clearfix pb-curated full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-ads-dfp" data-pb-name="DFP Ad" data-pb-curated="curated" data-pb-id="unnamed-feature" id="f1lCsO1pbuuAbs"> <!-- Ad feature begins here --> <div class="pb-ad pb-ad-prod ad-300x250 hddn-dktp relativehddn-dktp" > <div class="ad-caption-text align-center uppercase">Advertisement</div> <div id="news_natworld_1685" class="hddn" data-optimera-measure="trb_ad_300x250_inlineAdCube_5_/nation-world/margaret-hunter-admits-guilt-in-campaign-finance-scandal" > </div> </div> <script type='text/javascript'> (function() { //FetchBids for all ads if (true && window.apstag && true && window.headertag) { let params = { id: 'news_natworld_1685', slotName: '/4011/trb.chicagotribune/news/natworld', includeInA9: true, includeInIndexExchange: true } const dimensions = !'[[300, 250]]'.length ? 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Duncan Hunter</p> </div></div> <ul class="trb_ar_rt clear-both" data-c-typename="article"> <li class="trb_ar_rt_li"> <a class="trb_ar_rt_a" title="Duncan Hunter" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/duncan-hunter-topic.html#nt=taxonomy-article-inbody">Duncan Hunter</a> </li> <li class="trb_ar_rt_li"> <a class="trb_ar_rt_a" title="Crime" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-topic.html#nt=taxonomy-article-inbody">Crime</a> </li> <li class="trb_ar_rt_li"> <a class="trb_ar_rt_a" title="Alpine" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/alpine-topic.html#nt=taxonomy-article-inbody">Alpine</a> </li> <li class="trb_ar_rt_li"> <a class="trb_ar_rt_a" title="U.S. Department of Justice" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/u-s-department-of-justice-topic.html#nt=taxonomy-article-inbody">U.S. Department of Justice</a> </li> <li class="trb_ar_rt_li"> <a class="trb_ar_rt_a" title="Federal Election Commission" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/federal-election-commission-topic.html#nt=taxonomy-article-inbody">Federal Election Commission</a> </li> </ul> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> trb.privacy&&trb.privacy.enabled&&"Y"===trb.privacy.checkConsentCookie(trb.privacy.constants.TARGETING)&&document.querySelectorAll("[data-privacy=\"true\"]").forEach(function(a){return a.parentNode.removeChild(a)});</script>