CALIFORNIA/FBI/GOP/POLITICAL FIGURES: “Rep. Duncan Hunter, already staring down an FBI investigation, is running into serious turbulence for reelection.
Sensing that the five-term congressman is mortally wounded by a federal investigation into alleged misuse of campaign money and a recent POLITICO report about his freewheeling Washington lifestyle, Republicans in Hunter’s San Diego-area district are lining up to challenge him… Some Republicans from the district are hoping Hunter will drop out of the race. California’s filing deadline is March 9… Hunter has said he intends to fight for his seat. A San Diego grand jury has been hearing testimony from his former staffers and subpoenaed his family members to determine whether hundreds of thousands of dollars from Hunter’s campaign account were spent improperly on his family and friends.
The inquiry has also touched on Hunter’s relationships with several women in Washington, including one who worked as an intern in his office. Hunter is married.
The congressman has also developed a reputation for heavy drinking, including on the job… Hunter’s name remains a powerful force in his district, and because of the rightward tilt of the district, some Republican consultants in California believe he has a plausible path to reelection.
Hunter’s denials of wrongdoing have been enough to retain some local support. The San Diego County Republican Party endorsed Hunter last fall and intends to continue that support — even as some of its members privately fret about the fate of their candidate.”
-Rachel Bade, “Republicans flock to take out scandal-plagued Duncan Hunter,” Politico, Feb. 27, 2018 05:00am