A former Republican congressman who resigned after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds for extramarital affairs with lobbyists and family spending sprees, and subsequently received a pardon from Donald Trump, is now using his remaining political influence to seek clemency for a childhood friend convicted of child sexual abuse material possession.
Ex-Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) left office after a 60-count federal indictment detailed how he and his family misappropriated campaign funds. He eventually pleaded guilty to a single count in 2018 and resigned in 2020.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Hunter is currently operating as a lobbyist and working to secure a presidential pardon for Raymond Liddy, who was convicted in 2020 of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Liddy, a son of notorious Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy, previously served as a California deputy attorney general before his arrest. He was sentenced to five years' probation in federal court.
According to lobbying documents, Tommy Marquez Consulting, a government affairs firm based in Grapevine, Texas, submitted the pardon request. The filing lists Hunter as a consultant and documents efforts by Marquez and Hunter to secure Liddy's presidential pardon.
Since his conviction, Liddy has faced multiple legal violations.
According to the report, "Among the violations, records show, Liddy was arrested for drunken driving in South San Diego County in 2021. According to court records, he threatened his probation officer, called her a racial slur and repeatedly abused drugs and alcohol." The reported added, “Both Mr. Liddy and his wife, Courtney Liddy, continued calling (the officer) obscene names."