California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter agreed to step down from his house committee assignments Thursday amid an indictment involving him and his wife using campaign money for personal expenses.
The news comes just hours after Hunter and his wife, Margaret Hunter, pleaded not guilty in court, after it was reported Tuesday that the two illegally spent more than $250,000 in campaign funds on vacations and personal items. The two were using this money between 2009 and 2016, according to the Department of Justice.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan called for Hunter to resign from his committee assignments until the case is over. Hunter did not step down until Thursday. (RELATED: Congressman Duncan Hunter And Wife Plead Not Guilty)
“The charges against Rep. Hunter are deeply serious. The Ethics Committee deferred its investigation at the request of the Justice Department,” Ryan said in a statement Tuesday. “Now that he has been indicted, Rep. Hunter will be removed from his committee assignments pending the resolution of this matter.”
Since indicted, a spokesman for Hunter said the congressman believes the charges against him and his wife are “purely politically motivated.”
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