Congressman pleads guilty to using campaign funds on video games

gabhernandez Published 05/12/2019

Californian Congressman Duncan D. Hunter pleaded guilty in Federal court on Tuesday to stealing over $150,000 of campaign funds to support his lavish lifestyle.

The purchased items were “as inconsequential as fast food, movie tickets and sneakers; as trivial as video games, Lego sets and Playdoh,” according to the press release posted on justice.gov. In 2016, the San Diego Union Tribune acquired a letter from the Federal Election Commission that listed 68 separate occasions where Hunter used the funds to pay for video games.

In dollars, those 68 instances of game purchase translate to $1,302. The purchases are from a short period in 2015 and are listed on the campaign finance disclosure as “personal expense – to be paid back.” According to the report, there is no payback listed for the time period of the report. 

Video games are not the only thing the congressman admitted to purchasing. There were other expenses as mundane as groceries and dog food, while some were more luxurious and included such things as hotels, vacations, and plane tickets for the congressman’s pet rabbits, Eggburt and Cadbury. 

The FEC has also targeted Hunter’s wife Margaret, and alleges that the couple were both deeply in debt while they were using these funds. She has accepted a plea deal and has subsequently cooperated with the investigation.

The presiding judge commented on the guilty plea from Hunter, casting it in a positive light.

“Dunan Hunter intentionally took money that did not belong to him and used it for his own benefit. For that, he has been held accountable, and we are pleased that today he has taken this first step toward taking responsibility for his crime,” U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan said.

In the past, Hunter has been a strong advocate for the innocence of violent video games in the wake of mass shootings. He spoke about how the implication that violent video games cause kids to commit mass shootings conveyed that young Americans were unable to discern right from wrong, and painted those implications as false.

But while he may have been an ally of gamers in the past, his allegiance to gaming looks to have been taken a bit too far in this instance.

Read Also

Twitch

As Streamer University 2026 Ends, Here’s How Streamers Performed Khizar Mundia Kai Cenat returned from a hiatus to host Streamer University 2026, and his decision proved to be correct, with newly-released metrics showing that the event generated millions of views and hours watched on both Twitch and YouTube. There was significant anticipation for Streamer University 2026, and not just because the previous year’s event was a success. The bigger reason for many fans was that Kai Cenat would return from a ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Reportedly Buys $11 Million Warehouse Following Huge 2026 World Cup Tour Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is showing no signs of slowing down after his massively successful FIFA World Cup 2026 tour. The YouTuber has almost 60 million subscribers, and has now reached another milestone by reportedly purchasing a $11 million warehouse for his content creation needs. The IRL YouTuber’s coverage this summer took his global appeal to a new level, and he set major milestones during the World Cup. FIFA made ...

Twitch

Ludwig’s Streamer Games 2026: Dates, Format, Roster and Drama Khizar Mundia Ludwig Ahgren recently appeared in Kai Cenat’s Streamer University 2026 as a professor and he has now announced the Streamer Games 2026. Here’s everything about the event, ranging from the streamers on the roster to drama surrounding the CORE boys. 2026 has been a seemingly good year for Ludwig, as he got engaged to his partner Blaire “QTCinderella” and also became the most beloved professor in Streamer University 2026. However, ...

Kick

A History of Kick Streaming — How the Platform Became Big Khizar Mundia Since its launch in 2022, Kick has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the internet's leading livestreaming platforms. Owing to its generous creator terms, deals with big-name streamers and willingness to challenge Twitch's dominance, it has now become one of the industry's biggest players. Even five years ago, Twitch and YouTube were at the forefront of the streaming industry, and creators picked either platform when they wanted to ...

Twitch

Here’s How Twitch’s New Parental Controls Work Khizar Mundia There is growing discussion about the safety of younger users on livestreaming and social media platforms, with some countries even restricting usage for minors. Twitch has just announced that it has launched optional parental controls, allowing parents to limit their children’s activity on the platform. A move towards parental controls is not a surprise given the global push in recent months towards tighter regulation around social media platforms and age ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Tour in Numbers Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s FIFA World Cup 2026 tour was the largest and most ambitious in his IRL streaming career — the YouTuber met his idols, broke records, and even performed his song at the tournament’s final closing ceremony. Speed is known for his energetic and engaging IRL streams where he interacts with fans, creates wholesome moments, and shows viewers wherever he is in the world. The YouTuber’s FIFA World ...

Slots

Hacksaw Gaming’s Dead By Noon slot has a 10,000x max win — here’s how to land it! Ian John Hacksaw Gaming has returned to one of its most popular themes for its latest slot release — the Wild West. This new game Dead By Noon follows in the footsteps of other Hacksaw classics including Wanted Dead or a Wild, Le Cowboy and Duel at Dawn. The new game is a high volatility slot that offers 14 fixed paylines and a chance to win a whopping 10,000x your stake. It ...