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| Aaron Schock: Ex Illinois congressman charged over spending scandal | Aaron Schock: Ex Illinois congressman charged over spending scandal |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An Illinois congressman who resigned amid a spending scandal including the remodelling his office on the TV series Downton Abbey has been charged over questionable use of funds. | |
| Aaron Schock will face 24 counts for alleged offences including wire fraud and filing false tax returns. | Aaron Schock will face 24 counts for alleged offences including wire fraud and filing false tax returns. |
| Mr Schock had been investigated for his real estate deals, and for spending taxpayer cash on private jets. | Mr Schock had been investigated for his real estate deals, and for spending taxpayer cash on private jets. |
| His lawyer said the 52-page indictment was nothing but "made-up allegations". | His lawyer said the 52-page indictment was nothing but "made-up allegations". |
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| Who should fear a Trump victory? | Who should fear a Trump victory? |
| Meet President Trump's possible cabinet | Meet President Trump's possible cabinet |
| In 2015, the Republican made headlines when he redecorated his Capitol Hill office in the style of Downton Abbey. | |
| The indictment includes nine counts of wire fraud, five of falsification of election commission filings, six of filing false federal income tax returns, two of making false statements, and one each of mail fraud and theft of government funds. | The indictment includes nine counts of wire fraud, five of falsification of election commission filings, six of filing false federal income tax returns, two of making false statements, and one each of mail fraud and theft of government funds. |
| Wire fraud alone carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. | Wire fraud alone carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years. |
| Mr Schock said in a statement: "As I have said before, we might have made errors among a few of the thousands and thousands of financial transactions we conducted, but they were honest mistakes - no one intended to break any law. | Mr Schock said in a statement: "As I have said before, we might have made errors among a few of the thousands and thousands of financial transactions we conducted, but they were honest mistakes - no one intended to break any law. |
| "I am eager to finally defend my name and reputation in a court of law and move on with my life." | "I am eager to finally defend my name and reputation in a court of law and move on with my life." |
| The 35-year-old has been under investigation for 19 months, including by two grand juries that he said "poked, prodded and probed every aspect of my professional, political, and personal life". | The 35-year-old has been under investigation for 19 months, including by two grand juries that he said "poked, prodded and probed every aspect of my professional, political, and personal life". |
| George Terwilliger, Mr Schock's lawyer and a former Justice Department official, said: "This indictment will look bad, but underneath it is just made-up allegations of criminal activity arising from unintentional administrative errors. | George Terwilliger, Mr Schock's lawyer and a former Justice Department official, said: "This indictment will look bad, but underneath it is just made-up allegations of criminal activity arising from unintentional administrative errors. |
| "These charges are the culmination of an effort to find something, anything, to take down Aaron Schock." | "These charges are the culmination of an effort to find something, anything, to take down Aaron Schock." |
| 'Downton office' US lawmaker resigns | 'Downton office' US lawmaker resigns |
| The former congressman said he had lost faith in "the integrity of our Justice Department". | The former congressman said he had lost faith in "the integrity of our Justice Department". |
| "After this experience, I am forced to join millions of other Americans who have sadly concluded that our federal justice system is broken and too often driven by politics instead of facts," he said. | "After this experience, I am forced to join millions of other Americans who have sadly concluded that our federal justice system is broken and too often driven by politics instead of facts," he said. |
| Mr Schock was a rising star of the GOP when he became embroiled in a series of press probes into his lavish spending. | Mr Schock was a rising star of the GOP when he became embroiled in a series of press probes into his lavish spending. |
| While he repaid the government $40,000 (£28,500) for his aristocratic office renovation, it was the first in a series of reports by Politico and others about his use of public and campaign funds. | While he repaid the government $40,000 (£28,500) for his aristocratic office renovation, it was the first in a series of reports by Politico and others about his use of public and campaign funds. |
| The Associated Press used geolocated data from the lawmaker's Instagram account and his flight records to raise discrepancies in more than $40,000 of expenses he claimed to cover the cost of private flights. | The Associated Press used geolocated data from the lawmaker's Instagram account and his flight records to raise discrepancies in more than $40,000 of expenses he claimed to cover the cost of private flights. |
| While the rules of the Congress allow legislators to use office funds this way, that was not the case in 2013, the year investigated by the AP. | While the rules of the Congress allow legislators to use office funds this way, that was not the case in 2013, the year investigated by the AP. |
| Separately, Mr Schock came under scrutiny for multiple property deals closely related to political donors. | Separately, Mr Schock came under scrutiny for multiple property deals closely related to political donors. |
| The former congressman resigned in March 2015. | The former congressman resigned in March 2015. |
| He said he would leave Capitol Hill with "sadness and humility", adding that "God has a plan" for everyone. | He said he would leave Capitol Hill with "sadness and humility", adding that "God has a plan" for everyone. |