Duncan D. Hunter
Duncan Duane Hunter (born December 7, 1976) is an American former politician and United States Marine who served as a U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district from 2013 to 2020. He is a member of the Republican Party, who was first elected to the House in 2008. His district, numbered as the 52nd from 2009 to 2013, encompassed much of northern and inland San Diego County and a sliver of Riverside County, including the cities of El Cajon, Escondido, San Marcos, Santee and Temecula. He served in the U.S. Marines from 2001 through 2005 and succeeded his father, Republican Duncan Lee Hunter, a member of Congress from 1981 to 2009.
Duncan Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Duncan L. Hunter |
| Succeeded by | Darrell Issa |
| Constituency | 52nd district (2009–2013) 50th district (2013–2020) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Duncan Duane Hunter December 7, 1976 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Margaret Jankowski
(m. 1998; div. 2023) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Duncan L. Hunter (father) |
| Education | San Diego State University (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 2001–2005 (active) 2005–2017 (reserve) |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | 1st Battalion, 11th Marines |
| Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Criminal details | |
| Criminal status | Pardoned |
| Criminal charge | Conspiracy to Steal Campaign Funds – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371 |
| Penalty | 11 months in federal prison |
In 2017, the Department of Justice began a criminal investigation into Hunter and his campaign manager and wife, Margaret Jankowski, for alleged campaign finance violations. In August 2018, both were indicted on charges including conspiracy, wire fraud, and violating campaign finance laws. In June 2019, Jankowski pleaded guilty to corruption and named him as a co-conspirator in using campaign funds for personal expenses.
Also in June 2019, federal prosecutors showed that from 2009 to 2016, Hunter had spent campaign funds on extramarital affairs with five women, including lobbyists and congressional staff. In December 2019, Hunter changed his plea to guilty on one count of misusing campaign funds. On January 7, 2020, he submitted letters of resignation to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom, that took effect on January 13, 2020. On March 17, 2020, Hunter was sentenced to 11 months in prison, which had been scheduled to begin in January 2021. Hunter, however, did not serve any time because he was pardoned by President Donald Trump in December 2020. The next day, Trump also pardoned Hunter's wife.