Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) is again accused of using tax dollars for personal travel, this time to a November Bears Game in Chicago.
In a review of congressional disbursement records, the Chicago Sun Times discovered that Schock used $20,855 in tax dollars to pay for a flight from Washington D.C. to Peoria, Illinois, then one to Chicago for the Bears-Vikings game on November 16.
The new allegations come on the heels of a USA Today story that claimed the Republican used private aircraft instead of commercial flights, paying for the flights with tax dollars instead of campaign funds.
On February 19, USA Today reported that Schock’s flight expenses included $8,000 from his taxpayer-funded account with Lobair LLC, a private service, while his PAC, the GOP Generation Y Fund, gave $5,800 to Lobair since 2011. Schock has also used a helicopter owned by Jeff Green of Green Chevrolet. Schock’s House spending records and campaign accounts eschew any mention of the helicopter. Other helicopter flights Schock has taken have been reported as well.
With the allegations mounting, the Congressman announced that he was starting an internal audit of his expenses so that he could make any reimbursements needed. In fact, he already has made some re-payments.
Schock’s extravagant spending first came to light early in February when he was criticized for re-decorating his offices in a Downton Abby theme — courtesy of the taxpayer. By the end of February, Schock was making attempts to repay those expenses.
The Congressman also found problems with a senior advisor who had to resign on February 5 after a series of race-based posts on social media were made public.
It appears that support among fellow members of the Illinois delegation may be waning. In a recent interview with WLS radio, Republican Senator Mark Kirk lamented the situation pointedly saying that Schock “was” one of the up-and-coming Illinois politicians.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter: @warnerthuston. Email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.