Rep. Aaron Schock: I ‘Certainly Hope’ I Didn’t Break Expenditure Laws

As questions rise over his use of tax dollars for trips, concerts, and office re-decorating, Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock has said that he “hopes” he didn’t break any laws.

The 33-year-old Schock sat with Politico on Tuesday as the Internet newser asked questions about his growing troubles. But during the interview he didn’t seem to have many satisfactory explanations for his actions.

The Republican told Politico that he was taking the situation “very seriously,” but when asked if he broke the law, Schock said, “Well, I certainly hope not.”

He went on to promise that his office was doing all it could to clear up the Representative’s problems. “That’s what we can all do, is our best effort,” Schock said.

As Politico’s questions got more pointed, Schock maintained that he and his office were “working” on the matter and promised to clear it all up soon.

Of course, Politico isn’t alone in pressing Schock on these matters.

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.

With the accusations of misappropriation getting louder, Schock has come under increasing pressure due to these expenditures charged to the taxpayer and has had to issue a series of apologies and some repayments for the thousands of tax dollars he has spent over the last few years.

The mounting cases of Schock’s untoward expenditures have brought voices on both sides of the political spectrum calling for his ouster from Congress. Salon proclaimed Schock “toast” and noted that news only continues to get worse for him, while the conservative National Review recently called on Schock to resign.

Politico also uncovered some of Schock’s dodgy expenses when it reported on a $3,425 expense that was billed as a payment for “software” on his expense reports but later turned out to be the cost of a flight in a private plane owned by software company Bytelogics.

A spokesman for the software company told Politico that the money was “for a flight,” and admitted, “No, I never sold him software.”

The Congressman even found problems with a senior advisor who had to resign early in February after it came to light that he made a series of race-based posts on social media.

Schock has been in damage control for weeks. The Washington Post even noted that the congressman’s once-lively Instagram account has turned into something that is “incredibly boring.”

“So gone are the selfies with pop stars, the exotic vacation shots, and backstage photos at cool concerts,” the Post wrote, “and his Instagram has now become a lot more bland, with the kinds of unoffensive but feel-good pics most politicians put on Insta.”

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com