May 30--Former Rep. Aaron Schock repaid the government $122,590 during his final months in office, new financial statements show.
The repayments include more than $86,000 Schock received for mileage reimbursement expenses over six years ending in 2014. The mileage reimbursements were among several issues that raised questions leading to a federal investigation of Schock's office and campaign spending.
Schock, 33, a Peoria Republican, resigned from Congress on March 31 after six years. A federal grand jury is expected to hear additional testimony in the case next week.
The new reports cover financial activity for the first three months of the year.
The statements show that Schock reimbursed the government another $35,000 in payments to Annie Brahler, the Illinois interior decorator who redid his office in a bright red "Downton Abbey" style. Brahler's Jacksonville, Ill., firm is called EuroTrash.
The reports show another reimbursement of $1,237 for commercial transportation that occurred in November. That stemmed from a Peoria-to-Chicago flight Schock took to attend a Chicago Bears game.
On the spending side, Schock continued to pay a photographer, Jonathon Link, during the first quarter. Link, whose role is listed as "communications," received $12,222 in salary and $1,172 for a combination of lodging, office supplies, equipment rental and a service contract.
He also paid Keith Siilats, the pilot who flew the lawmaker to the Bears game, $1,352 for "commercial transportation" that took place Jan. 16.
Schock's total office spending for the period was more than $259,000.
Schock came under scrutiny for his mileage reimbursement because government documents and Schock campaign finance records shows that from Jan. 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014, he was reimbursed by taxpayers and his political funds roughly $90,000 for putting about 171,000 miles on his personal vehicle.
But when he sold a Chevy Tahoe in 2014, it had only 81,000 miles on it.
The total he reimbursed the government for "private auto mileage" was $86,353, the latest statements show.
Schock's spokesmen had said he would repay the government for his official mileage, for his office redecoration and for the flight to the Bears game.
Money reimbursed by a House member is returned to his or her office budget, known as a Member's Representational Allowance and, after two years, when the appropriations expires, it goes to the U.S. Treasury, a House aide said.
kskiba@chicagotribune.com
