Breaking: Former ‘Downton Abbey’ GOP Congressman Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Felony Corruption Charges

24 Federal Charges 

Former U.S. Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) has just pleaded not guilty to 24 federal felony charges that include wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements, filing false reports with federal election officials and filing false tax returns. The Chicago Tribune detailed the allegations Monday, noting the federal indictment, which is 52-pages long, “portrays Schock as using campaign and taxpayer money to bankroll a lavish lifestyle.”

Schock is a conservative Republican who opposes same-sex marriage, a woman’s right to choose, the repeal of DADT, and even the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. His social media accounts often drew attention, with postings on Instagram raising eyebrows from his constituents in Peoria, Illinois. 

But when a Washington Post reporter tweeted photos of Schock’s newly redecorated Washington, D.C. office, which many said looked like it was straight out of PBS’s “Downton Abbey,” the media backlash was extensive, and drew calls for an ethics investigation.

Ultimately, Schock was forced to resign after news broke that he had illegally accepted the decorator’s services for free, a violation of ethics rules, and federal investigators were looking into his use of federal funds for trips and concerts.

Video from 2015 of Schock discussing ofice:

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