Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who this week pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges, said Friday that he will resign from Congress soon.
“Shortly after the Holidays I will resign from Congress. It has been an honor to serve the people of California’s 50th District, and I greatly appreciate the trust they have put in me over these last 11 years,” Hunter said in a statement obtained by TPM.
The embattled California Republican announced Monday that he planned to change his plea to guilty in his campaign finance fraud case. Hunter told local news channel KUSI that he would particularly plead guilty to one count of campaign funds misuse because he did not wish to go through with the criminal trial that was scheduled for January.
On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee urged Hunter to “refrain from voting on any question at a meeting of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House,” citing a House rule regarding convicted lawmakers.
Former Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who announced in August that he had launched an exploratory committee to consider a potential bid for Hunter’s seat, told the San Diego Union-Tribune in an interview Thursday that President Trump extending clemency to Hunter would “balance the public good” by saving imprisonment costs.
