Prosecutors, lawyers for Margaret Hunter ask court to delay sentencing until April

Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys for Margaret Hunter, wife of U.S. Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, asked the court Tuesday to push back to April her sentencing on one count of conspiracy.

Margaret Hunter reached a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty in June to the count, which names Rep. Hunter, R-Alpine, as her sole co-conspirator.

As part of the plea deal, she agreed to testify against her husband, who has pleaded not guilty to a 60-count indictment filed against the couple in August 2018. He says his prosecution is a partisan witch hunt.

The indictment accuses the couple of crimes related to their alleged use of more than $250,000 of political contributions intended for Hunter’s campaign for personal expenses such as video games, dental work, their children’s private school tuition, a family vacation to Italy and more.

Duncan Hunter’s criminal trial, originally scheduled to start Sept. 10, has been delayed twice amid an appeal in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 22.

The motion filed Tuesday would delay Margaret Hunter’s sentencing, originally scheduled for Sept. 16, until after Duncan Hunter’s criminal trial. His trial is expected to last a month or more.

“The parties respectfully request that Ms. Hunter’s sentencing hearing be rescheduled for April 6, 2020 (or any other convenient date for the Court), so that the trial and sentencing of Co-Defendant Duncan Hunter is able to be completed prior to Ms. Hunter’s sentencing hearing in light of her ongoing cooperation obligations,” according to the motion filed Tuesday.

Margaret Hunter faces up to five years in prison but is expected to receive a lighter sentence due to her cooperation.