The San Diego Union-Tribune: Hunter pushes Coast Guard to lease or buy ship owned by top campaign donor
Larry Noble, general counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, said Hunter’s advocacy for the Aiviq may be purely motivated and absolutely warranted, but it looks like he’s going out on a limb for a top campaign contributor — especially given revelations this past spring that Hunter’s campaign funds were used for personal purposes.
“Even if he truly believes it’s the right thing and in the public’s best interests, the fact that he accepted the contributions and then used (campaign money) for personal use all undercuts the integrity of the decision,” Noble said. “Even if it’s true, even if he knows best and the Coast Guard doesn’t know what it’s doing, the public is rightfully going to ask, ‘What is your motivation?’”