Congressman's Campaign Paid for $1.3K in Video Games

More than $1,300 in video game purchases appearing on US Rep. Duncan Hunter's 2015 campaign report prompted the FEC to send a letter to the California Republican asking for an explanation, the Hill reports. The charges made to Steam Games between Oct. 13 and Dec. 16, which bear the notation "personal expense—to be paid back," are the result of a still-unresolved billing dispute, Duncan's campaign tells the San Diego Union-Tribune. Chief of staff Joe Kasper says Hunter's teenage son accidentally used the congressman's campaign credit card to purchase a game.

After that, he says, dozens of unauthorized charges were made on the card. Kasper says Hunter (who recently made headlines for vaping during a hearing) is trying to have the charges reversed before reimbursing the campaign account. The idea that Hunter was illegally buying video games with campaign funds and hoping to get away with it is "absurd," Kasper tells the Hill, adding that Hunter may go ahead and reimburse the campaign "to avoid the headache." (More Duncan Hunter stories.)