(Chicago) A campaign donor to former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday morning against the scandal-plagued Peoria Republican and urged Schock to make up for his alleged misdeeds by issuing refunds to campaign contributors, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Howard Foster of Chicago gave $500 to Schock’s campaign in April 2012 because he believed Schock was “ethical, a breath of fresh air in Illinois politics, and had a bright future in Congress,” according to his complaint. Instead, Foster said Schock “followed well-tread paths of political sleaze for personal gain.”
Schock, 33, elected to Congress in 2008, stepped down March 31 as he faced mounting serious legal problems — many of which are detailed in the lawsuit Foster is pursuing as a class-action RICO complaint. Federal prosecutors are now investigating Schock, and at least three current or former staffers visited Springfield last week to testify before a grand jury.
Neither the former congressman nor his representatives could immediately be reached to comment on the lawsuit.
The Chicago Sun-Times revealed that Schock charged taxpayers for a charter from Peoria to Chicago for a Bears game, and a taxpayer-paid weekend trip to New York with 10 House staffers where little official business was conducted.
The Sun-Times also disclosed Schock claimed taxpayer-paid mileage for a $73,896.96 SUV purchased by Schock’s campaign in 2014, which he put in his name.
Schock announced his resignation as the Sun-Times and Politico were working on stories about charging taxpayers for more miles on his 2010 Chevy Tahoe than the SUV was ever driven. Foster pointed out the car had only 81,860 miles on the odometer even though Schock had received reimbursements for 170,000 miles, “enriching himself by about $50,000.”
Schock’s 18th congressional district included parts of Springfield. His Springfield office is down the block from where the grand jury is sitting – in the Paul Findley Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse – named for a long-serving member of the House of Representatives who represented parts of central and western Illinois.
Schock delivered a farewell speech on March 26, where he said in his last speech on the House floor, “I know that God has a plan for my life.”
Foster also quoted Schock as saying, “for those whom I’ve let down, I will work tirelessly to make it up to you.”
“With this lawsuit, Schock has an opportunity to do just that by refunding campaign contributions,” Foster wrote.
–Chicago Sun-Times
© Copyright 2015 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
