* We talked a little about this Associated Press story yesterday…
Aaron Schock, the Republican state representative making a strong bid for the 18th District seat in the U.S. House, once notarized documents with false dates while helping his parents set up tax shelters, his own father testified in federal court.
* Schock is taking a three-pronged approach to his counter-spin.
First, he’s calling the false date a clerical error…
“It was a clerical mistake and it was made over eight years ago.”
* That’s not what his own father testified to under oath, however…
[Aaron Schock] declared that he witnessed the documents being signed on Jan. 1, 2000, but they weren’t actually signed until more than a year later. […]
Richard Schock said they put money and property into a variety of corporations and a charitable trust beginning Jan. 1, 2000, as directed by two of the defendants in the federal trial, Kenton Tylman and Debra Hills. But despite repeated requests, Tylman and Hills did not provide some of the documents for them to sign until spring of the next year.
He testified that the couple signed the documents with the earlier date because that’s when the tax shelters were formally established.
A trial transcript shows Richard Schock was asked, “And your son, Aaron, would not have signed this on January 1 of 2000; isn’t that correct?”
“That’s correct,” he replied.
That doesn’t sound like a “clerical mistake” to me.
Oops.
* It’s truly unfortunate that the local media doesn’t seem to be calling Schock out on this fabrication, allowing the arguments to be played as a he said, she said affair without providing factual context…
Is it a smear campaign - or a concerning lapse in judgment? It depends on which candidate for the 18th congressional district you believe.
* Secondly, Schock is hiding behind the ol’ “the Democrats are trying to smear me” and “negative politics is so horrible” gambit…
Schock says the story was fed to the Associated Press by the National Democratic Party and is nothing more than a smear campaign three weeks before the election.
Local reporters never called the national party or the Associated Press to verify the claim, however.
* More…
Schock, 27, called Callahan’s tactics and those of the national party an “act of desperation” from a candidate he says is behind in the polls.
“Voters don’t like the gutter attacks, the gutter politics and they don’t like to see the candidates throwing mud at one another,” Schock said.
* And, finally, the 27 year old congressional candidate is employing the “youthful indiscretions/ancient history” angle…
Schock says the documentation was an accident that happened when he was nineteen, and with almost three weeks till Election Day, his contenders are trying to smear his image.
“I think it’s an act of desperation to go to this document over eight years ago and try and say, well somehow now, Aaron Schock is not qualified.” Schock said.
Amazingly, this angle has remained completely unchallenged in the local press.
* One more thing. This is mentioned in pretty much every story…
Schock’s family did not benefit from backdating the documents
They didn’t benefit because they were defrauded. However, they were obviously trying to profit from what turned out to be phony tax shelters, and admitedly involved their son in the process.
* More congressional stuff…
* Cheney phones in to lunch
* Bailout, economy divide U.S. Senate picks
* Durbin still holds heavy war chest
* Durbin reports $6.5 million in campaign fund
* Bean, Greenberg cordial — to a point
* Foster opens up large cash lead on Oberweis
* Incumbents raising big cash in Illinois congressional races
* Around the horn: Ozinga, Hassert, Duckworth
* Congressman Rush’s son pleads guilty in sex case
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:04 am:
He was 19.
No one profited.
He escapes this minor infraction, in my opinion.
And I am no Schock fan, btw.
- Double Standard - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:19 am:
Prime example of the media’s bias when it come to Republicans & Democrats.
Sure hope the national and local media lap it up when Blagojevich gets indicted.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:22 am:
Rich, you don’t like Schock do you? I am not saying you are slanted in your reporting or print lies or do a bad job. He is not my congressman so I do not pay as much attention to people closer to me, but I sense a true dislike for him/his behavior from you. I have not and am not attacking/questioning your integrity, but you have the right to your opinion.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:24 am:
PS, It looks like COngressman Rush’s son will have a smorgasbord of inmates to have relations with.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:25 am:
The backdating is old news, but fair game. A notary backdating documents is a big no-no, large or small. You can get into serious trouble for that.
What an awful thing for a father to ask his son to do.
- Shore - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:28 am:
Kirk has $1.8 million left and a number of groups like the chamber of commerce, freedom’s watch, and a few others have been sending mailings and t.v. ads out for him, compared to seals 240k and a dccc which has thus far delivered only 1/3 of its promised support.
Also wondering whether newspapers understand in waiting to endorse candidates that a ton of people have already voted and that this isn’t the 1980’s anymore.
- Crystal Clear - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:28 am:
About the same with Obama and the national media.
- GOP'er - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:29 am:
Very disappointing. Schock’s first instinct is to not be truthful - even about small things, where the truth would have worked just as well. Reminds me of Bill Clinton.
If he had just said something like, “I was 19 and I made a mistake I regret” - I could accept that.
But instead he goes into dishonest cover-up mode. On one level this is a small thing - but it’s a big test of his character, which he’s failed.
This is the problem when a kid gets into the cesspool of Illinois politics at such a young age with really no other life experience behind him. He’s a product of the culture and I cringe to think what he’ll be like 20 years from now.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:36 am:
Does investing with people who defraud you call into question the kinda people you associate with?
VanillaMan, if Schock committed fraud in his official capacity in this instance (where he got caught), how many times do you think Schock lied or performed his official duties in a dishonorable manner, but Schock’s lack of integrity hasn’t been proven yet?
Schock has moved up in life very quickly. He’s made alot of money on the side for someone who held an unpaid elected position before getting elected to the legislature.
Did Schock inappropriately cash-in on his political power in his real estate deals? We don’t know for sure. There are a whole bunch of ways politicians can use their offices illegally, but there’s no practical way to detect the illegal activities.
If Schock would lie about something to attempt to acquire financial advantage for his family, how confident are you that he didn’t break the law on his real estate deals?
If he made his million dollars in real estate–by age 25, right?–through illegally using his position as a school board member, what has Schock accomplished in life that’s legit? Is he just a charming guy and skilled campaigner who is basically a Bush Republican?
By Bush Republican I mean a guy that’s using the levers of government power for personal enrichment.
- Joe in the Know - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:39 am:
It looks like Aaron Achock will fit in perfectly in DC. Good riddance.
- Speaking At Will - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 10:48 am:
This story interests me about as much as the last episode of the “The Hills.”
Tell me exactly how or why this should sway votes in the Schock vs. Callahan election. I have the choice between a women who wants to bring back the draft, or a guy who notarized some paperwork with a false date. Its laughable.
- Amazing - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 11:22 am:
Blagojevich continues to get a free pass and now this.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 11:25 am:
Amazing, where is Blagojevich getting this alleged free pass you speak of?
- anon sequitor - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 11:58 am:
To voters in 18th District:
Please, please, please elect a responsible adult to Congress.
Elect Callahan and send Schock back home to his fraudulent notary business.
- EHopkins - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 12:33 pm:
Rich M., you are so right. Voters deserve more info on this case. One of the perps in this federal case involving Schock was Brent Winters, an unsuccessful GOP candidate for the 19th District in Congress in 1998. That was the same year he filed a false tax return, the basis of his conviction in Peoria in July. He’ll be sentenced in December. Odd coincidences here…
- WooHoo - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 12:39 pm:
“He’s made alot of money on the side for someone who held an unpaid elected position before getting elected to the legislature.”
- Yeah, he made wise investments, Carl. Only an idiot would consider that to be a negative.
“Did Schock inappropriately cash-in on his political power in his real estate deals? We don’t know for sure.”
- But keep the allegations coming anyway, right Carl? Pathetic.
“If he made his million dollars in real estate–by age 25, right?–through illegally using his position as a school board member, what has Schock accomplished in life that’s legit?”
- Yet another dirty allegation by Carl. If you though enough mud…you’ll still stink, Carl, and you reek of desperation.
Pingback Politics: Is local media carrying Schock’s water on allegations? | Peoria Pundit - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 1:55 pm:
[…] Rich Miller says on his Capitol Fax Blog that the local media is accepting Aaron Schock at his word regarding his apparent violation of the law when he notarized backdated tax shelter documents for his father about eight years ago: * It’s truly unfortunate that the local media doesn’t seem to be calling Schock out on this fabrication, allowing the arguments to be played as a he said, she said affair without providing factual context… Is it a smear campaign - or a concerning lapse in judgment? It depends on which candidate for the 18th congressional district you believe. […]
- Brian G - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 2:02 pm:
The Journal Star has a long history of boosterism and looking the other way in the 18th District. Good analysis, Mr. Miller.
Mr. Nyberg and Ehopkins have excellent points about Mr. Schock and with whom he associates. He seems to be walking in Jack Abramoff’s footsteps. Schock has had people like Susan B. Hirschmann, Tom DeLay’s Chief of Staff, Tom Feeney, one of the “most corrupt” Congresmen according to CREW, Eric Cantor, a man who had a sandwich named after him at Jack Abramoff’s Signatures restaurant rainig money for him early and often. Aaron even has received money from Indian casinos in California. the boy has a pattern of mistakes in judgment and corruption.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 2:27 pm:
WooHoo, you don’t consider it suspicious Schock’s net worth is over a million dollars by age 27 based on land deals in the same community he was an elected official?
Maybe, I’m cynical because I deal with what may be the most corrupt school district in the state (Proviso Township High Schools).
I certainly don’t think Schock made the money being a wise investor. Somebody helped him. Who helped Schock make the deals? What did they get out of the deal? Did any of the parties make money off the government as part of the deal? Did any make money off the school district?
- JonShibleyFan - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 3:37 pm:
Kristen McQueary knocks another one out of the park (old political adage for Mr. Ozinga — never pick a fight with anyone who buys ink by the gallon):
“Had Cheney’s heart problems developed during the course of his Will County visit, rest assured he would have been in good hands. Ozinga could have recommended any number of area emergency rooms. After all, as Ozinga said, health care accessibility isn’t a serious problem in this country: “You just go to the hospital, and you get taken care of.”"
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 3:52 pm:
Rich - I have seen almost zero coverage here about the Shimkus-Davis race. Anything to report?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 4:48 pm:
Not really
- Mr. Dreamy Express - Thursday, Oct 16, 08 @ 4:52 pm:
The only reason the Schock story is “old news” is that the local media — who has reported that Aaron’s supporters think he is dreamy and columnists call him “smart and handsome” was asleep at the switch.
The family was trying to dodge taxes with a shelter which is a nice way to say they were ealthy enough to scam the govt. Instead they got scammed. Too bad.
Sorry the story is news, it is the same realm as selling the gravel pit to the sanitary district for 300% profit or fliiping houses to Bradley…Very sharp operator
The DNC did not invent the trial transcript they just provided it to the sleeping media
If the scam walks like a duck and talks like a duck it is a scam.
Anybody asking how much the Schock’s tried to shelter…was young Aaron on the family returns? Did they file amended returns???
Or will the media just roll over for a long winter’s nap
- Will - Friday, Oct 17, 08 @ 10:05 am:
The press is going easy on Schock outside of the overplayed nukes in Taiwan issue. Here’s a guy who runs an ad bragging about how he’s going to “keep fighting” for clean rivers and his only major votes on water issues were to deregulate fecal matter surface discharge from private septic systems in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. As far as I know my blog is the only place pointing out the contradiction. Why on earth hasn’t any reporter challenged him on that?
- Brian G - Friday, Oct 17, 08 @ 11:11 am:
The press needs to be asking questions such as why would Susan B. Hirschmann, Tom DeLay’s former Chief of Staff. You know the one. The one who was a go between for Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Indian Casinos, Ralph Reed, and Grover Norquist? She was at the epicenter of the G.O.P.’s culture of corruption. How about Eric Cantor, he who had a sandwich named after him at Abramoff’s restaurant. He and his ERICPAC were early and frequent contributors in the Schock campaign. Why did the Morengo Indian PAC in California donate to Schock? Check out www.politicalparty.org site for Aaron’s receptions including one with Tom Feeney.