The federal government has reportedly opened a criminal inquiry into the campaign expenses of Illinois Republican Aaron Schock, who resigned his congressional seat this week.
The investigation, first reported by CNN and the Associated Press, is said to focus on whether Schock padded his expenses, including over-claiming mileage reimbursements, and if he received illegal in-kind contributions from donors.
Schock first became a subject of scrutiny in early February when Ben Terris from the Washington Post wrote up the three-term Illinois Republican’s Downton Abbey-inspired office décor. The article mentioned that Schock’s interior designer had offered her services for free, in violation of congressional ethics law.
From there, Schock’s expenses started receiving significant scrutiny from reporters like Paul Singer at USA Today and Jake Sherman at Politico. The investigations revealed that Schock had spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on office furniture, and used campaign funds for personal trips as well to take interns to a Katy Perry concert.
The fall from grace for the Illinois Republican has been dramatic. He had long been considered an up-and-coming star in the GOP for his fundraising prowess, and had also been considered a potential statewide candidate in Illinois as well. The federal investigation, which reportedly includes a grand jury convening in April, could lead to criminal charges and make Schock yet another Illinois politician to end up in federal prison.
The news adds further poignancy to a prediction made by Schock’s father about his son earlier this week: “Two years from now he’ll be successful, if he’s not in jail.”
Schock’s resignation from the House of Representatives is due to take effect on 31 March.
