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Duncan Hunter’s Bail Is Set at $15,000

California Republican, wife, are arraigned in court

Rep. Duncan Hunter’s bail was set at $15,000 and he is facing 60 charges. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Rep. Duncan Hunter’s bail was set at $15,000 and he is facing 60 charges. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret were arraigned Thursday in San Diego on charges they used campaign funds for personal expenses, including family vacations and school fees for their children. 

The California Republican and his wife both entered pleas of not guilty to the 60 charges against them. Duncan Hunter’s bail was set at $15,000 and Margaret Hunter’s bail was set at $10,000. 

Hunter has consistently ranked as one of the poorest members of Congress. For the past five years, he has listed no assets, according to Roll Call’s Wealth of Congress index

According to Tuesday’s indictment, the Hunters overdrew their bank account more than 1,100 times in a seven-year period. They accrued approximately $37,761 in “overdraft” and “insufficient funds” bank fees. In the same period, the couple’s credit cards were charged to the credit limit, often with five-figure balances, resulting in approximately $24,600 in finance charges, interest and other fees related to late, over the limit and returned payment fees.

In April, Hunter filed paperwork to set up a legal defense fund, which could help pay his legal bills. 

Hunter must also surrender his firearms by Monday. He was greeted by protesters chanting “lock him up,” a twist on the campaign rallying cry of President Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton.

The couple arrived to court separately and sat apart during the proceedings, according to San Diego ABC station 10News. The next hearing for the Hunters is scheduled for Sept. 4, the day the House is scheduled to return from its August recess. 

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