Tag: Aaron Schock

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Erick Erickson Goes After Rep. Aaron Schock On Spending Public Funds

Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois on one of “those” trips

Erick Erickson of Red State demands a resignation after “totally not gay” GOP Congressman Aaron Schock as more stories come to light about seemingly inappropriate spending habits.

I will not belabor the point.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) Rep. Aaron Schock has proven himself incapable of handling his own money, the money of his donors, and taxpayer money. He has lived excessively off the backs of taxpayers who must be reimbursed and off of donors to whom he is now a servant.

His excuses are now met with revised excuses, further apologies, and corrections to corrected records of expenditures and campaign finance reports. He has lived a life as a celebrity in a city that more and more craves celebrity over competence in office.

His lack of responsibility with the funds of others shows him to lack the necessary integrity to handle the power of the purse in the House of Representatives, which remains the chief power of the House.

He should resign. Perhaps Downton Abbey needs someone else to fill the role of an American playboy chasing a Crawley. He can go spend time on the real set instead of trying to dress up his office at our expense or that of his donors.

Erickson also embeds in his post a link that shows Schock’s “Heritage Actions Scorecard” at 45%, while the House Republican average is 61%.

Whatever that means…

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Rep. Aaron Schock Reimburses Government $35,000 For Office Decor

Rep. Aaron Schock (L) talks with ABC News

USA Today is reporting that Congressman Aaron Schock has repaid the government $35,000 for office renovations after allegations of improper use of government funds.

“As he said he would, Congressman Schock has fulfilled his commitment to pay for all the renovation costs of the 18th Congressional District office in Washington,” said a statement released by Schock’s office Friday. “Even though office expenses are often covered by the Member Representational Allowance, the Congressman believed it appropriate to pay these costs himself as part of the office review process.”

USA TODAY has reported that Schock had spent more $100,000 than of his taxpayer-funded account on office renovations in prior years. The expenses included thousands for leather furniture, hardwood floors and marble countertops for his offices in his central Illinois congressional district.

According to the report, the government had apparently been paid $35,000 through Schock’s office. As the story now goes, his decorator refunded that $35,000 to the government and Schock then paid via his own personal funds.

Schock has drawn much attention lately for questionable real estate sales and expenses through his office.

He retained high powered ethics lawyers this week, and he’s announced full reviews of office spending to help ensure compliance with Congressional rules.

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Rep. Aaron Schock Gets The Daily Show Treatment

So, a few weeks ago an innocuous “style” piece for the Washington Post brought to light the latest decor choices made by (totally not gay) Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois.

Not exactly the kind of attention he was looking for probably, and it ended with his communications guy resigning (albeit for reasons in addition to handling the story badly).

But the story launched a look into his spending habits – spending money other than his own. And so, now there is a congressional inquiry/possible audit into some expenses that have been covered with inappropriate funds. Word comes now that he’s lawyered up to handle the allegations.

With all that happening, it was inevitable that Jon Stewart would have to bring the handsome young congressman into focus on The Daily Show.

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It’s Friday! Time For One More Aaron Schock Debacle

Blue Nation Review reports on Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock’s sale of his home to a political donor for much more than the home was estimated to be worth.

Ruh-roh.

The month before the 2012 elections, Congressman Schock sold his house to a major Republican donor who was also one of his campaign supporters for a price that appears to far exceed the market value at the time.

Ali Bahaj – then a Vice President at Caterpillar – and his wife Gloria have donated more than $45,000 over the last decade to the Caterpillar PAC and various Republican officeholders – including Congressman Schock.

In fact, Federal Election Commission records show that Mr. and Mrs. Bahaj each made the maximum allowable donation to Aaron Schock’s campaign in 2008.

Congressman Schock on October 16, 2012 sold his home to the Bahajs for $925,000.

Zillow estimates that the house was worth approximately $695,000 that month. It’s possible Congressman Schock just got incredibly lucky finding the right buyer to throw him a life raft as homeowners around him were drowning.

But it begs the question: Was this transaction more than just luck?

Blue Nation Review found several nearby comparable homes that never got near that price range.

Well, things happen. I can attest that I got lucky when I sold my home in LA in 2004. I sold near the very top of the market then. Of course, I didn’t happen to sell to a political donor of mine. (p.s. I don’t have any political donors…)

According to Zillow, Schock sold his home at just about the rock bottom of the Peoria real estate market:

If Schock had sold to a stranger for a higher than average price, it might have been one thing. But, it seems that Congressman Schock sold his home at what appears to be an inflated price to a political donor.

First, “OfficeGate.”

Then, racist top aide calls African-Americans zoo animals.

Now, this.

Happy Friday, Aaron Schock. I’ll bet no one wanted to end the week more than you.

Good thing you’ve got your health.

Totally not gay Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois
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Rep. Aaron Schock’s Week Gets Worse As Top Aide Resigns Over Racist Comments

Rep. Aaron Schock and ABC News’ Jeff Zeleny talk office decorating

In the wake of his current Congressional decorating woes, Rep. Aaron Schock now has to deal with a PR debacle as news comes to light that his policy and communiciations adviser, Benjamin Cole, had taken to social media in the past to compare African-Americans to zoo animals.

The posts appear to have been removed this week in light of “OfficeGate.”

In a series of Facebook posts obtained by ThinkProgress, the senior adviser for policy and communications to Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) posted racial comments and endorsed gentrification of his neighborhood.

Benjamin Cole, a former Baptist pastor and energy industry spokesman, posted a series of videos and comments on October 13, 2013 mocking two African Americans outside his DC apartment. In the first, he compared them to animals escaping from the National Zoo engaged in “mating rituals.” That message included a video of a woman, shouting and seemingly engaged in an argument with someone not visible as she walked. In each of his posts, he used the hashtag “#gentrifytoday.”

To be honest, Cole brought this on himself not only by posting his hideous remarks but also by making himself news this week with his knee-jerk reaction to the “Downton Abbey” inspired office story. Had he handled the issue with a fairer hand, his name wouldn’t have sparked interest in the national media.

You can see the screen capture of one of the posts (before it was deleted) below:

Cole’s resignation was announced today with Schock issuing this statement:

“I am extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments made by a member of my staff,” Schock said in a statement to the Peoria Journal Star. “I would expect better from any member of my team. Upon learning about them I met with Mr. Cole and he offered his resignation which I have accepted.”

Glad to see Schock take the only real.

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Rep. Aaron Schock Says He’s Never Seen “Downton Abbey”

Congressman Aaron Schock interviewed by ABC News’ Jeff Zeleny

A few days ago I reported on the “Downton Abbey” themed congressional office of GOP Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois.

At the time, it was a bit of a light-hearted story as gay rumors have followed the congressman for years. So, having a bright red, “Downton Abbey” inspired office seemed right up the young legislator’s alley.

Now – however – after all the attention, it seems Schock has been hit with an ethics violation inquiry as it seems he’s spent a LOT of money on decorating his office and it seems to be coming out of the taxpayer’s pocket. In addition, his decorator said he offered her services for free which is considered a violation in itself.

In December 2009 he paid $7,400 to an Illinois design/build firm called KBL Design Center, and then another $21,000 to a hardwood floor company, a building contractor and company called Old World Granite and Marble that apparently makes high-end countertops. He then spent $6,600 on an Illinois painting contractor.

Two months later, Schock spent $79,061 on furniture purchases, including $5,123 from a company called Mulnix Industries that specializes in hardwood podiums.

Around the same time, Schock spent more than $4,000 with a fine-leather furniture company called Garrett Leather.

[snip]

The Washington Post story quoted the designer of Schock’s Capitol Hill office as saying she provided her design services to Schock for free. That led the liberal group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to file a complaint Tuesday with the House alleging that Schock may have received an improper gift.

Schock says he paid his decorator last time she worked for him, and he will again.

And, he denies having ever seen a single episode of “Downton Abbey.”

Riiiiiiiiiiight. That’s why his offices were decorated in this bold manner.

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Congressman Aaron Schock Has A Secret Only His Interior Decorator Knows

Congressman Aaron Schock is totally not gay
Rep. Aaron Schock

So, totally not gay Republican Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois recently redecorated his office in Washington, D.C.

A new Congress, a new look. What could that hurt?

As the story goes, a woman named Annie Brahler, of the decorating firm Euro Trash, offered her services free of charge to the handsome, young congressman, although he did have to personally pay for any items she picked out on his behalf.

Well, Washington Post reporter Ben Terris stopped by the offices of Mr. Schock and was greeted by what was described by staff as inspired by the PBS hit series Downton Abbey. The decorator, Ms. Annie Brahler, even offered a tour of the redux.

As Brahler and Terris walked around, though, Schock’s communications director Benjamin Cole got involved with a somewhat abrupt request to cease, desist and delete all pics of the office redo, and offering an interview on any subject with the congressman as long as it wasn’t about the office decor.

“He’s happy to talk to you, just not about the office,” Cole reportedly told Terris. “I’m really sorry and want you to know this is not fun for me.”

Now why, many wonder, would a PR guy get so nervous about an office decor change?

Eyebrows seem to be raised because of persistent rumors that the 33 year old congressman is actually gay and closeted, with a voting record that is not LGBT friendly at all.

See tweets from Washington Post reporter Ben Terris below:

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The Republican Party’s biggest problem in one photo

Gee, what’s missing from this photo? Let me think…

Could it be the absolute lack of minority faces?

This was posted by Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) after speaking to the National Teen Age Republicans, or “#futuregop.”

If that’s the “future of the GOP,” Republicans could seriously be in big trouble as the diversity of the US continues to grow.

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CBS reporter Itay Hod outs IL Republican congressman Aaron Schock

Shirtless Illinois congressman Aaron Schock from a Men's Health Magazine photo shoot
Illinois congressman Aaron Schock

CBS News reporter Itay Hod wrote the following on his Facebook page last night.

“Here’s a hypothetical: What if you know a certain GOP congressman, let’s just say from Illinois, is gay… and you know this because one of your friends, a journalist for a reputable network, told you in no uncertain terms that he caught that GOP congressman and his male roommate in the shower… together. Now they could have been good friends just trying to conserve water. But there’s more. What if this congressman has also been caught by TMZ cameras trolling gay bars?

“Now what if you know that this very same guy, the darling of the GOP, has also voted against repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, opposed the repeal of DOMA, is against gay marriage; and for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add language to the US Constitution banning gay marriage and would likely strike down every gay rights law and ordinance in the country? Are we still not allowed to out him?

“Let me ask another question. Doesn’t the media have an OBLIGATION to expose his hypocrisy? If he had done something so hypocritical and he wasn’t gay, wouldn’t we demand journalists do their job? But they can’t… because we won’t let them. you’re not allowed to out ANYONE, we tell them. We’ve created a situation where even though news organizations know this guy is gay, they can’t report it because he hasn’t said so on Twitter.”

For those who follow such things, Hod is clearly referring to Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL.). For years Schock has been on the radar of the LGBT political radar for his anti-gay votes and positions, even as many have suggested that it’s very very very very possible that he’s living a gay life on the downlow.

I should note that Rep. Aaron Schock is really really anti-gay policy. Here’s a recap:

  • Schock voted against adding sexual orientation to the already-existing hate crimes law.
  • Schock opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
  • Schock opposes the repeal of DOMA.
  • Schock is against gay marriage.
  • Schock is for the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would add language to the US Constitution banning gay marriage and likely striking down every gay rights law and ordinance in the country.

I am not one for “outing” another EXCEPT in a case exactly like this. Were it to be true that Schock is voting against the rights and positions of the very community for which he is a part, I am more than happy to see him come clean about a double life as it were.

I’ll be curious to see how this may or may not shake out.

Stay tuned.

(h/t JMG)