Since Rep. Duncan Hunter , R-Alpine, and his wife, Margaret, were charged a week ago on 60 counts in a federal indictment alleging they spent some $250,000 in campaign contributions on lavish vacations, meals and personal items, the couple has been in the news often but only the congressman has spoken publicly in interviews.

Hunter has said the corruption charges are politically motivated and meant to undermine his re-election campaign.

On Thursday, Hunter said of his wife to a Fox News reporter: “She handled my finances throughout my entire military career and that continued on when I got into Congress. ... She was also the campaign manager. Whatever she did, that'll be looked at too, I'm sure, but I didn't do it." He added, "I didn't spend any money illegally."

On Tuesday, a day after Hunter’s “blaming” of his wife became an internet meme, he told 10 News, the ABC affiliate in San Diego: “Leave my wife out of it, leave my family out of it. It’s me they’re after anyway. They’re not after my wife; they want to take me down, that’s what they’re up to. So let’s get this in the arena and have this settled."

Both Hunter and his wife pleaded not guilty to the charges in federal court last week, but in an appearance on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum,” the five-term congressman said his “campaign made mistakes” and that his wife had power of attorney and oversaw family expenses as well as campaign funds.

“You also said yesterday that your wife handled a lot of the family expenses and campaign finances, so are you saying that it’s more her fault than your fault?” MacCallum asked Hunter.

That’s when Hunter explained how his wife handled his finances while he was in the military and later in Congress, saying, she was his campaign manager. “Whatever she did, that’ll be looked at, too, I’m sure,” he said. “But I didn’t do it.”

After the interview aired last Thursday, some voters interviewed by The San Diego Union-Tribune in his 50th Congressional District said they were disappointed in him and said they would not vote for him. Others stood by him, and still others took issue with his shifting of the blame to his wife.

On Friday, a four-woman panel on Fox News also tore into Hunter for blaming his own wife.

“Stutter much?” said Capri Cafaro, a contributor to the Washington Examiner. “This guy — his body language, the way he’s presenting himself — clearly I know he’s innocent until proven guilty but let me say a few things about this: what kind of wimp blames their wife?”

politics, comedy

The internet has also been unforgiving territory for the congressman. Dozens of critics and would-be comedians, including a handful of prominent Hollywood actors such as Bradley Whitford, Patton Oswalt. Ed Asner, Elizabeth Perkins and Patricia Arquette, have been jokingly blaming Hunter’s wife for personal errors or bad life choices.

The Hunters were both named in a 60-count indictment alleging they committed a number of crimes, including wire fraud, falsifying records and misusing campaign contributions, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported last week when federal prosecutors filed the charges.

Hunter, facing re-election in November, was at a campaign event Tuesday on Shelter Island, where he pushed back on the criticism over his finger-pointing and told a camera, “Leave my wife out of it, leave my family out of it.”

This is not the first time another Hunter family member has been implicated in this scandal.

After the Federal Election Commission began questioning Hunter over campaign spending on video games in 2016, his then-spokesman Joe Kasper said the candidate’s teenage son used the campaign’s credit card for one video game purchase, the Union-Tribune reported.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

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