House Ethics Committee tells indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter to 'refrain from voting'

Nicholas Wu | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption U.S. lawmaker pleads guilty on funds misuse California Congressman Duncan Hunter has pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds. The Republican from San Diego appeared Tuesday in federal court to enter his plea. (Dec. 3)

WASHINGTON – The House Ethics Committee instructed indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., to "refrain from voting" on legislation in the House of Representatives after he pleaded guilty to a campaign finance charge on Tuesday.

In a two-page letter dated Dec. 5, the committee told Hunter his guilty plea could bring a sentence of "two or more years of imprisonment," meaning that under House rules, Hunter "should refrain from voting on any question at a meeting of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union."

The Democratic and Republican heads of the committee, Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, informed Hunter the recommendation not to vote "is not mandatory," but a violation of the rules would result in disciplinary action.

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Hunter and his wife were indicted on 60 counts of campaign finance violations by federal prosecutors in August 2018. Prosecutors alleged he and Margaret Hunter skirted federal campaign finance laws from 2009 to 2016 by using more than $250,000 in campaign funds to pay for personal vacations, bills, and in Duncan Hunter’s case, affairs with three lobbyists, a congressional aide, and one of his staffers.

In a Monday evening interview with local television station KUSI, Hunter said he would not run for re-election, and he is expected to resign from Congress before the end of his term.

Hunter stepped down from his committee assignments after his indictment, meaning he has been unable to participate in most legislative proceedings in Congress.

The California Republican’s case had drawn attention from President Donald Trump, who had tweeted in Hunter’s defense in September 2018. Trump slammed the "Obama era" investigations and the "Jeff Sessions Justice Department" for indicting Hunter and Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. before the 2018 elections.

Hunter was first elected to his San Diego-area congressional district in 2008, succeeding his father, Rep. Duncan Hunter Sr.

Despite his indictment, Hunter narrowly won re-election in 2018 against Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar.

Contributing: Sam Metz, Palm Springs Desert Sun