WASHINGTON _ Disgraced former Rep. Aaron Schock's legal team claims that a staffer working as an informant for the FBI broke the law.
The staffer provided emails, credit card receipts, and other documents that helped the feds make a case against Schock, Fox News reported, but Schock's lawyers say this violated his constitutional right against unreasonable search and seizure.
Schock resigned in disgrace in 2015 and was indicted last year after the Washington Post reported that the Illinois Republican received a "Downton Abbey"-inspired office redecoration for free.
Politico later reported Schock reimbursed himself for questionable mileage expenses, which ultimately led to his resignation.
Schock attorney George Terwilliger wrote in a motion seeking more information that there was no evidence that the using the informant "produced the 'smoking gun' (the government) no doubt sought by using him."
"The government, however, cannot run away from what was produced: a trail of improper _ if not outright illegal _ acts by the (informant) that remain not fully known to the defense in this case," Terwilliger concluded.
Schock's attorneys claimed in their motion that the government violated the former congressman's constitutional rights when it used a staffer as an informant and had him wear a device to record conversations without Schock's knowledge.
