Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) is involved in yet another scandal, and this one forced the Marine Corps to get involved to stop him from disgracing the nation’s most heralded military branch.
Hunter served as a Marine from 2001 to 2005 and even served in Iraq during the war. One would hope he has enough respect for the Marine Corps to not invoke them in his hateful Islamophobic campaign messages against his 2020 Democratic opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar, but that’s exactly what he did.
In a campaign letter in his own voice, Hunter attacks Campa-Najjar along with Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in a desperate and bigoted effort to tie them to terrorist groups. He then uses the Marine Corp emblem as if the United States military endorses his attack.
“The closer Duncan Hunter gets to his criminal trial, the more absurd his lies and racist attacks become,” Campa-Najjar told NBC News, which flagged the campaign mailer. “At this point, it’s pretty clear that Congressman Hunter has lost all ability to tell the difference between right and wrong, fact and fiction.”
Hunter is charged with committing wire fraud and campaign finance violations and falsifying records.
Omar and Tlaib have already been targets of racist attacks from President Donald Trump. Clearly, Hunter is hoping that pandering to white nationalists will also help him get re-elected in his district.
But Hunter’s use of the emblem caught the attention of the Marine Corps, which sent him a letter ordering him to cease and desist.
“It has come to our attention that your campaign is using the official USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor (Emblem) and the phrase ‘No Better Friend, NO Worse Enemy’ (Phrase) as an integral part of your political campaign, namely, on at least one fundraising mailer to your constituents,” the letter said. “Immediately remove the Emblem and the Phrase from its mailers, and, without limitation, from all other campaign materials including websites and other instances where the Emblem or the Phrase are being used. We also request that you provide us with a timetable as to your compliance with our requests.”
This is a serious request from the Marine Corps, as it’s not supposed to be seen as endorsing any political campaigns. But Hunter’s campaign is worse because he’s an accused criminal who is making it appear that the Marine Corps endorses his racist attack.
Hunter’s campaign claims they are complying with the order, telling NBC that officials were “made aware of the concerns expressed and the request made by the U.S. Marine Corps not to include any of its copyrighted material in his campaign pieces.”
“The campaign immediately complied and is taking all appropriate measures to ensure this matter is addressed appropriately and thoroughly,” the campaign said.
This is yet another embarrassing setback for Hunter as he continues to try to hang on to his congressional seat and stay out of prison at the same time.
Featured Image: Wikimedia
