A couple of weeks ago, Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) was indicted on insider trading charges. Today, Representative Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) and his wife were indicted on federal charges of misusing campaign funds. Is it a trend?
Normally, for 538 or so people, you’d expect a few to be bad apples, or for one or two to trip over the laws that can sometimes have special application to members of Congress, and I’m more than willing to accept that these two fall into this category, particularly as Duncan appears to have served honorably in the recent wars with the Marine Corp.
But its not hard to consider the possibility that they are representative of the general run of Republicans in Congress, given recent behaviors over the last 4-6 years, and the general drift of the party to the extremist right.
So it’s worth keeping an eye on this situation. As Federal prosecutors were selected by Trump, there’s no reason to think Collins or Duncan was setup, unless it’s a particularly vicious intra-party feud. However, Collins was an early supporter of President Trump and almost certainly hasn’t earned a trump-up charge (sorry) to clear him out of the House. Hunter appears to be in a similar position.
Will we be seeing a wave of such indictments? I’d like to believe not, but given how the party has drifted away from its law and order fundamental tenet, I will not be surprised if more sitting Representative and Senators of the Republican persuasion find themselves staring at a judge.
Might not hurt to put in a supply of popcorn. Collins occupies one of the reddest seats on the East Coast, but his indictment and subsequent decision to drop his re-election bid may put it firmly in play, especially if district independents are sick and tired of Republican shenanigans. Duncan’s seat in California’s 50th district has been solidly Republican for years, judging from Ballotpedia, so, again, it’s a little difficult to assume the Democrats might seriously challenge for Hunter’s seat, even if district voters are repulsed by the charges.
