U.S. Justice Department in Washington. (Photo: Mike Scarcella / ALM)

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a five-term Republican from San Diego County, was indicted on Tuesday with his wife on charges they used unlawfully campaign donations to cover personal expenses.

The 48-page indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for California's Southern District, accuses Hunter and his wife, Margaret, of financing trips to Hawaii, Italy and other tourist destinations and paying for school tuition, dental work and travel for relatives with campaign money over a seven-year period. The couple faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, falsification of records, bank fraud and prohibited use of campaign contributions.

Duncan Hunter's attorney, Gregory Vega of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

“The indictment alleges that Congressman Hunter and his wife repeatedly dipped into campaign coffers as if they were personal bank accounts and falsified FEC campaign finance reports to cover their tracks,” U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said in a prepared statement. “Elected representatives should jealously guard the public's trust, not abuse their positions for personal gain. Today's indictment is a reminder that no one is above the law.”

Braverman, a San Diego federal prosecutor since 2008, was sworn into office in November. Before taking the helm, Braverman was deputy chief of the criminal enterprise section of the U.S. attorney's office. Assistant U.S. attorneys Emily Allen, W. Mark Conover and Phillip L.B. Halpern are assigned the prosecution.

Hunter's re-election campaign issued a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune that accused prosecutors of an “inexplicable rush to indict” and suggested the investigation leading to the indictment was politically motivated.

We've posted the indictment in United States v. Hunter below: