No Sympathy for Elected Devils

[EasyAce]

The indictment of Representative Duncan Hunter Jr. proves yet again that members of Congress deserve all the scrutiny we can give them
By Jim Geraghty
https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/08/duncan-hunter-scandal-elected-officials-high-standard/

Let’s stipulate right off the bat that the life of an elected official has a lot of challenges that aren’t immediately visible to constituents . . . as enormous as those drawbacks are, the perks make the job worth it.

. . . In other words, if you find yourself lucky enough to be elected to Congress, you are probably set for life, unless you do something stupid and/or illegal, as Representative Duncan Hunter Jr. is alleged to have done.

The indictment of Hunter and his wife makes for an eye-opening read . . .

. . . The congressman and his wife will have their day in court. Perhaps the jury won’t believe the charges or will accept some explanation from the defendants. But right now, the indictment seems like a sterling example of why members of Congress need to be subjected to such relentless scrutiny and constant skepticism. Yes, it probably feels unfair, but elected officials are given a pretty sweet deal — certainly a better arrangement than what most of their constituents will ever know — and some of them just can’t resist the urge to take even more.

[Night Hides Not]

The Hunters illegally used campaign funds, among other things, to purchase the following: Hotel rooms, airline tickets and upgrades, meals and food, and entertainment expenses for vacations for themselves and their friends and family, including more than $14,000 for a family Thanksgiving vacation in Italy in November 2015; more than $6,500 for a family vacation to Hawaii in April 2015; more than $3,700 for a family vacation to Las Vegas and Boise in July 2015; more than $2,400 for a Las Vegas couples vacation in August 2011; and more vacations to destinations such as Lake Tahoe, Pittsburgh, London, and Washington.

Yup, it's all on the wife...