department. i paid the money back. this is political, period. reporter: that is also what he told the crowd at a town hall in 2017. i am a representative to you and the campaign finance stuff, i was not watching it close enough. i have fixed it now. it s all straightened out. reporter: a grand jury didn t see it that way. prosecutors said even his campaign staffers kept warning the couple they were violating the law. the assistant u.s. attorney said the couple wasn t a flight risk due in part to their dire financial condition. hunter racked up $137,000 in overdraft fees on his personal accounts, hunter as much as admitting his family is going through financial troubles. there s nothing illegal about being poor. i don t think there s anything illegal about not having money in your bank account. reporter: there is something illegal about using campaign funds to shore up your finances.