Borrego Sun - Since 1949

Former Rep. Duncan Hunter will serve his 11-month sentence at Federal Correctional Institute La Tuna in Anthony Texas, according to his attorney Devin Burstein.

The ex-congressman of the California’s 50th District, pled guilty in December 2019 to a federal conspiracy charge of misusing campaign funds with a sum excess of $150,000, and was sentenced in March 2020 to 11 months in prison and three years of parole.

He and his wife Margaret Hunter were charged in August 2018 in a 60-count indictment, which alleged they used campaign funds for personal use – from school tuition, family vacations to groceries and others to support their lavish and luxurious lifestyle.

Duncan Hunter is due to report on Jan. 4 to the prison camp, and will serve in its adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. FCI La Tuna is located in West Texas near El Paso, and is under a 10-hour drive from his hometown of Alpine, California. FCI La Turn has 737 total inmates: 586 at the correctional institution and 151 at the adjacent camp.

He was initially scheduled to begin his time in custody on May 29, but that surrender date was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

His wife Margaret pleaded guilty back in June 2019 of conspiring with her husband to misusing more than $250,000 in campaign funds, and was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years probation on Aug. 24.

Duncan Hunter was first elected in 2008 in what was the 52nd District. However, due to redistricting in 2013, most of the area became part of the 50th District. He was re-elected to serve the district in 2017, despite being indicted three months prior. In 2020, Duncan Hunter stepped down from his congressional committee assignments.

At first, Hunter refused to leave his committees voluntarily; however, following reports that the Republican Steering Committee was planning to forcibly remove his committee assignments, Hunter reversed course and agreed.

The seat has remained vacant with no special election,