--- title: Rep. Duncan Hunter Says His Wife Handled Their Finances description: The Congressman appeared on FOX News' "The Story" and told host Martha MacCallum the charges agains him were "pure politics" canonical: https://time.com/5377297/duncan-hunter-wife-finances/ author: Gina Martinez article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-24T16:11:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:15:00.808Z article:section: Politics og:title: Duncan Hunter Calls Campaign Fund Abuse Charges 'Pure Politics' and Says His Wife Handled Their Finances og:description: Hunter and his wife pleaded "not guilty" to charges of campaign fund abuse og:url: https://time.com/5377297/duncan-hunter-wife-finances/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3452df18a1df8811/6989385eab6d7785966b3792/180822-duncan-hunter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: 180822-duncan-hunter og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Duncan Hunter Calls Campaign Fund Abuse Charges 'Pure Politics' and Says His Wife Handled Their Finances twitter:description: Hunter and his wife pleaded "not guilty" to charges of campaign fund abuse twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3452df18a1df8811/6989385eab6d7785966b3792/180822-duncan-hunter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Duncan Hunter Calls Campaign Fund Abuse Charges 'Pure Politics' and Says His Wife Handled Their Finances > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1e52afdd-dd1a-4191-8ebd-fadad6939c31&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Gina Martinez](https://time.com/author/gina-martinez/) ## Gina Martinez Aug 24, 2018 4:11 PM UTC  Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) speaks to the media before a painting he found offensive and removed is rehung on the U.S. Capitol walls on January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) speaks to the media before a painting he found offensive and removed is rehung on the U.S. Capitol walls on January 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Joe Raedle—Getty Images by [Gina Martinez](https://time.com/author/gina-martinez/) ## Gina Martinez Aug 24, 2018 4:11 PM UTC California Congressman Duncan Hunter gave his first interview since he and his wife were [charged with campaign fund abuse](http://time.com/5373992/duncan-hunter-wife-charged-campaign-corruption/), calling the charges against him “pure politics” and also appeared to shift blame on his wife, saying she handled their finances. “She was also the campaign manager so whatever she did, that’ll be looked at too, I’m sure, but I didn’t do it.” Hunter told Martha MacCallum in an interview on [FOX News’ _The Story_](http://video.foxnews.com/v/5826104184001/?#sp=show-clips). Duncan said his wife, Margaret Hunter, was in control of their finances when he was first deployed in Iraq in 2003 and that she continued to handle them after he joined Congress. Hunter and his wife pleaded “not guilty” on Thursday to federal charges that they spent more than [$250,000 in campaign funds](http://time.com/5373992/duncan-hunter-wife-charged-campaign-corruption/) on personal expenses that included lavish vacations, groceries and golf trips. When asked about specifics, including the accusation that the congressman told his wife to buy a pair of shorts while in Hawaii at a golf shop and describe the purchase as golf balls for wounded warriors, he told MacCallum “I don’t remember that but I would never do that.” The Hawaii trip is one of many trips he described as “fundraisers.” “That’s how we campaign and try to raise money is by traveling, having dinners, meeting people and raising more money,” he told Fox News. “That’s how people get to hear me and hear what I have to say, and they donate money.” He said any money spent improperly was paid back. “My campaign did make mistakes. There was money spent on things, not by me but by the campaign, and I paid that back before my last election. I paid back $60,000 dollars after I did an objective audit. 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