New York (CNN Business) A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter. You can sign up for free right here.

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter is guilty. He is likely out of office and on the way to jail. And it all started when a reporter asked reasonable questions about his spending habits.

On Tuesday, Hunter pleaded guilty to a federal corruption charge. Assistant US Attorney Phillip Halpern said Hunter and his wife used campaign funds "as a piggy bank to float their lifestyle that they otherwise could not maintain."

Up until now, Hunter had been denying any wrongdoing. But on Tuesday he said "I made mistakes, and that's what today was all about." Prosecutors, however, say this was not about "mistakes" -- this was about corruption. CNN's Paul Vercammen has details here...