Rep. Aaron Schock to resign amid spending scandal

WASHINGTON — Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., a charismatic rising star in the Republican Party and top GOP fundraiser, announced his resignation Tuesday after weeks of news reports about questionable spending on everything from airplane flights to his office decor.

Schock, 33, was a ubiquitous presence on social media and documented a long list of luxury trips and events on his Instagram account. The non-partisan Sunlight Foundation declared in 2013 that he was one of the top five Republican fundraisers in the House.

His downfall began in February when The Washington Postreported on his bold new renovation of his Capitol Hill office, which his staff said was modeled after the PBS television show Downton Abbey. The office staff told the Post the interior designer had done the work for free.

That touched off a wave of investigations into Schock's campaign and office spending. USA TODAY discovered he had spent more than $100,000 on a prior office remodeling, including leather furniture and hardwood floors. Schock ultimately reimbursed taxpayers $35,000 for the cost of the Downton Abbey remodel, and paid the designer an additional $5,000.

USA TODAY also reported that Schock was one of the top travel spenders in the House, and repeatedly spent taxpayer and campaign funds to rent private aircraft in apparent violation of House rules and campaign finance law.

Schock's resignation was first reported by Politico on Tuesday.

In a statement, Schock said he was stepping down because "the constant questions over the last six weeks have proven a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve and which I have set for myself. I have always sought to do what's best for my constituents and I thank them for the opportunity to serve." His resignation will be effective March 31.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Tuesday, "With this decision, Rep. Schock has put the best interests of his constituents and the House first. I appreciate Aaron's years of service, and I wish him well in the future."

"Obviously the charges and allegations against Aaron Schock were significant and they raised important questions about his expenditure of campaign funds and official funds," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. "His resignation suggests that many of the allegations had substance behind them. I would just say that we have been through this in our delegation, Congressman Jackson of course, for the misuse of campaign funds has paid a heavy price . . . I don't know what the future holds for Aaron Schock but I was stunned today that he had resigned."

Schock's spending had become a daily stream of embarrassing revelations.

Politico reported on lavish campaign expenses and questionable reimbursements for vehicle mileage; the Chicago Sun-Times tracked improper payments for campaign events, including a Chicago Bears game.

With his resignation, Schock heads off any investigation by the House Ethics Committee — which does not have jurisdiction over former members of Congress — but could still be pursued for any violations of law.

Schock becomes the second Illinois House member to resign this decade. Democratic former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. stepped down in 2012 in the midst of a spending scandal and was later sentenced to 30 months in prison for misuse of campaign funds.

Schock's Peoria-based district is considered a safe seat for Republicans, being one of only two districts in the state that voted for Republican John McCain over Democratic then-senator Barack Obama in 2008, according to the Almanac of American Politics.