Former Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), who resigned from Congress in 2020 after pleading guilty to a felony, has disclosed that he's spent months as a federal lobbyist for a company with longstanding ties to the congressman and his family.
Hunter is lobbying for technology research-and-development firm Trex Enterprises on adoption of "radar on... major airport runways in order to minimize damage and/or loss of life due to [foreign objects] on runways," per a recent filing.
The lobbying work began in March, according to the disclosure, which Hunter filed earlier this month. The Lobbying Disclosure Act requires qualifying lobbyists to disclose any new clients within 45 days of the work's start.
This isn't Hunter's first dealing with Trex. Hunter's uncle reportedly founded the company in 1978 but has since left. The congressman and his father, former Rep. Duncan L. Hunter (R-Calif.), each secured millions of dollars in earmarks for Trex during their respective congressional tenures. And the younger Hunter's campaign accepted over $12,000 in donations from Trex employees from 2007-2014, according to Federal Election Commission data.
In December 2019, Hunter pled guilty to felony misuse of campaign funds and resigned from Congress the following month. He was later pardoned by then-President Donald Trump just two weeks before he was supposed to begin an 11-month prison sentence.
