Aaron Schock resigns after new questions about mileage expenses
By JAKE SHERMAN, ANNA PALMER and JOHN BRESNAHAN 3/17/15 2:08 PM EDT Updated 3/17/15 3:11 PM EDT
Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock resigned Tuesday, less than 12 hours after POLITICO raised questions about tens of thousands of dollars in mileage reimbursements he received for his personal vehicle.
Schock billed the federal government and his campaign for logging roughly 170,000 miles on his personal car between January 2010 and July 2014. But when he sold that Chevrolet Tahoe in July 2014, it had only roughly 80,000 miles on the odometer, according to public records obtained by POLITICO under Illinois open records laws. The documents, in other words, indicate he was reimbursed for 90,000 miles more than his car was ever driven.
The discrepancy added to a growing wave of ethical and legal problems the 33-year-old politician faces.
“[T]he constant questions over the last six weeks have proven a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve and which I have set for myself,” Schock said in a surprise statement on Tuesday. “I have always sought to do what’s best for my constituents and I thank them for the opportunity to serve.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/aaron-schock-resigns-116153.html#ixzz3UfihnVRM