WASHINGTON — Rep. Aaron Schock, an Illinois Republican once eyed as a cornerstone of his party’s future, announced Tuesday that he would resign from Congress after weeks of allegations that he had misused taxpayer and campaign funds.
The Office of Congressional Ethics recently began a review of his spending, following news of the $40,000 makeover of his Capitol Hill office in the manner of “Downton Abbey,” the popular British period-piece television series set in the early 1900s.
Schock also was dogged by questions about whether he misused his taxpayer-funded account for inappropriate travel expenses.
“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,” Schock said in a statement issued by his office.
At 33, Schock becomes the youngest member of Congress to resign from office. His resignation takes effect March 31, after House Republicans have handled their annual budget outline and another key domestic policy vote, on Medicare funding. Illinois officials will have to schedule a special election to find a successor. The district, centered on Peoria, is solidly Republican and is unlikely to produce a strong Democratic contender.
Schock was barely two months into his fourth two-year term but had built a public profile that outstripped his tenure, gaining a coveted seat on the Ways and Means Committee and a place on the Republican whip team. From the covers of magazines such as Men’s Health and a deeply cultivated social media presence, Schock wore a camera-ready smile and projected a man-on-the-go image that seemed to position him for a long future in Republican politics.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement: ” 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.”
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a fellow Republican with whom Schock had clashed, was even more terse: “This is a sad day for the people of Illinois and the 18th District.”
