Up until last week, a rising star in the Republican Party busily groomed his image and résumé for the future. Today, he could face criminal charges.
Elected to Illinois’ school board at the age of 19, United States Representative Aaron Schock joined the seats of Congress at the ripe age of 27. Over the years, he’s made himself known as a force with whom to be reckoned when it comes to fund-raising and building star power. Charismatic, persuasive and not to mention ravishingly handsome, Washington’s most eligible bachelor obviously has been waiting in the wings for a big career. If age hadn’t held him back, perhaps he would have been in the thick of the current presidential bids.
In February, questions began to arise about his possible illegal use of taxpayer campaign funds. Schock allegedly used some of the money to pay for — among other things — concert tickets for those who work for him and luxurious travel for himself. These charges included paying for a personal photographer to travel along on his recent trip to India. This last part came as no shock to me because ever since following him on Instagram I’d noticed all of his photos seemed particularly top notch.
The hint that something was amiss came about when a reporter stumbled upon his newly decorated office, designed in the style of a room from the hit show Downton Abbey — though Schock claims he’s “never seen an episode.” Reportedly, the renovations cost upwards of $40,000 and had been paid for personally by the decorator. His communications director Benjamin Cole didn’t help matters when he bullied the reporter, demanding he delete the iPhone photos he had snapped of the illustrious red room. Needless to say, interests were piqued and the allegations of other fishy spending began snowballing from there.
After several weeks of questions, Rep. Schock announced his resignation from Congress. It will go into effect at the end of the month.
What caused his downfall? Was it his Hollywood-like appeal (just google his name and “Men’s Health”), or the prowess he’s shown in fundraising and garnering attention? To me, this incident can be simply seen as a classic case of a person getting too big for his britches. I believe Rep. Schock fell into a trap of feeling entitled to a life of stardom and the perks it often entails. This saddens me, as I feel he genuinely wanted to do great things for the citizens of America.
While integrity is one of the most important things to me when I seek out a candidate to consider, I will admit my heart sank when I learned of his ethical demise and subsequent resignation. As a young conservative, I’d set my hopes on the congressman perhaps running for President when his age no longer prohibited the action. Adding to my frustration is the fact many politicians have committed far worse indiscretions and are still in office. However, when all is said and done, I’m glad justice has been served. I hope Aaron Schock will learn from his mistakes and go on to still make a difference as a force for good in our world.
