Now that former Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) has resigned from office after his frivolous spending and misuse of government funds came to light, the Marshall County Board sent a letter asking Schock to pay for the special election that will decide his replacement.
The Marshall County Board wants Schock to pay $76,000 to fund the special election, rather than place that burden on the taxpayers who Schock stole from. Some of Schock’s misuse includes vacations, concert tickets, and luxurious hotels. He funded these extravagant items with taxpayers’ money.
Schock’s poor spending habits came to light after The Washington Post published how the Illinois representative used his government-funded account to decorate his office to look like the set of the hit television show Downton Abbey.
A subsequent investigation found that in addition to the office, Schock had used his government-funded account to purchase luxurious items and vacations. He documented these frivolous purchases as business expenses. He also overestimated the mileage on his personal vehicle and charged the fake miles to the U.S. government.
According to The Chicago Tribune:
The letter seeks a certified check or an agreement that Shock will cover this summer’s special and general election costs. The letter also went to the 20 other voting jurisdictions in the 18th Congressional District.
Schock has about $3.3 million remaining in his campaign fund.
Marshall County State’s Attorney Paul Bauer says that’s “more money than the county has in its reserves.”
Schock misused government money that came from taxpayers to fund his good times. He should pay every penny of that $76,000 as repayment to the public that he ripped off.
