Ex-congressman Aaron Schock strikes deal to avert prosecution
Source: Washington Post
By Matt Zapotosky March 6 at 1:25 PM
Federal prosecutors finalized a deal Wednesday that would undo the criminal charges against a former congressman from Illinois accused of misspending campaign and government money for his personal benefit — as long as he pays back taxes and reimburses his campaign.
Aaron Schock, 37 — who became famous because his Capitol Hill office was decorated in the style of the TV show “Downton Abbey” and his six-pack abs once landed him on the cover of Men’s Health magazine — conceded as part of the deferred prosecution agreement that he had done some wrong, and he agreed to pay taxes he skipped and reimburse his campaign committees nearly $68,000.
But the case that once threatened to put Schock in prison almost certainly will end without him being convicted — marking a stunning reversal for the government. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss all the charges against Schock, provided that he holds up his end of their bargain, and his campaign committee agreed to plead guilty to violating the record-keeping provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act and pay a $26,500 fine.
In a statement, Schock said the outcome “validates this case should have never been started in the first place.”
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/ex-congressman-aaron-schock-strikes-deal-to-avert-prosecution/2019/03/06/085d664e-3f9d-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
