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* The National Journal piles on…
[Congressman Aaron Schock] appears to have improperly accepted money from an outside group to cover travel expenses for a companion on a trip to India and failed to disclose it in a possible violation of House rules, according to a National Journal review of public records.
Schock traveled to India on official business in August 2014, a trip during which he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Global Poverty Project, an advocacy organization that seeks to alleviate extreme poverty internationally, footed the bill, according to a spokesman for the group.
But Schock’s photographer and videographer, Jonathon Link, traveled with him on the trip, which was well-documented on Schock’s Instagram account. The organization offered to pay for the costs of one staffer to accompany Schock as long as the staffer flew economy class, according to the spokesman. Another aide was originally going to come, but the organization noted they were looking for a photographer, and Schock suggested Link, with whom he has worked in the past, the spokesman said. The photos Link took were made available to both Schock and the Global Poverty Project.
The problem is House rules allow a member to accept private money for a companion’s travel expenses only if the companion is a staffer, spouse or child. Link was none of those; he didn’t appear on Schock’s official or campaign payroll until September 2014.
Man, that must be one thick oppo book. Go read the whole thing.
More to come. Bet on it.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 3:58 pm
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Ok, I give.
Attention Schock Crew;
Lawyer up. It’s “that” time. It’s just too much now not to think this won’t be “arbitrarily” investigated.
Tell the truth, tell it all, get immunity if need be.
===More to come. Bet on it.===
“Someone may go down, staffer, or even higher, I can’t stop it anymore.”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:04 pm
Plop plop
Fizz fizz
Will Schock get any relief from this?
Nope.
Comment by Tommydanger Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:14 pm
It just never ends. Looks like they’re getting more intense too — multiple stories per day!
Comment by QCLib Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:16 pm
Someone or some group must have real hate in their heart. This is just like the ever ready battery , it just keeps going and going and going. This is more then over the top and seems hateful more so then being informative.
Comment by 19th warder Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:22 pm
As Butch said to Sundance. “Who are those guys?
Comment by Bigtwich Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:23 pm
If Jonathon Link starts doing interviews, the game could be over for Schock.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:26 pm
Bigtwich wins the Internet today.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:27 pm
Let’s face it Aaron…they’re just not that India.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:29 pm
Drip…drip…drip. Or, in this case, gush…gush,,,gush.
Comment by bwana63 Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:30 pm
If there are a any clear thinking grown-ups in the Republican House leadership, and in my opinion that’s debatable, someone needs to sit the Young Congressman down and tell him the party’s over. Don’t know yet if he is in legal jeopardy but his days of being the fresh face of a rising Republican star have got to be ending. And that may be just the beginning.
Comment by And I Approved This Message Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:31 pm
Drip, drip, drip…
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:33 pm
- Bigtwitch -,
That is restaurant quality…
High bar there!
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:38 pm
=Man, that must be one thick oppo book= I’m thinking one page for each day between now and the 2016 primary.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:39 pm
It appears they have enough to drop the less creamy details this late in the week. The research and legwork is laudable and very, very, very well organized. Wow.
Comment by A guy Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:53 pm
==- 19th warder - Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:22 pm:==
If Schock wasn’t wantonly rule breaking, there wouldn’t be any stories.
Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 4:53 pm
===drop the less creamy details this late in the week===
Wait a few hours or so.
Like I said, bet on it.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:00 pm
At what point does a federal prosecutor get involved? The pattern of wrongdoing discovered by others with Schock belatedly reimbursing the taxpayers is telling. This may well have started with an oppo dump but the floodgates are open at this point.
Comment by relocated Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:06 pm
===but the floodgates are open at this point.===
Which, I believe, was the whole point.
One of the most professional, deliberate, well-researched, well-timed and “clean” take-downs I’ve ever seen.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:08 pm
Just saw Schock on Peoria TV making a comment on states opting out of Common Core. Looks like the new PR firm’s strategy is to put him out there working hard for his constituents.
(You supply the snark)
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:08 pm
Impressive. Whatever the consulting fee for the person behind all this research is, it’s worth it. Wonder who their next project is?
Comment by AC Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:08 pm
==Man, that must be one thick oppo book== =I’m thinking one page for each day between now and the 2016 primary.=
At this rate, he won’t make it to 2016.
Comment by a drop in Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:13 pm
Today, Earl of Grantham, tomorrow Tesco Checkout Assistant, next week Her Majesty’s Prison Service?
Comment by AC Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:15 pm
Sorry, Rich — I don’t think this is a Democratic hit. We can’t execute this well….
Comment by Soccermom Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:20 pm
Worthy of Fracis Urquhart and Tim Stamper.
Comment by ABC Lawyer Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:24 pm
===One of the most professional, deliberate, well-researched, well-timed and “clean” take-downs I’ve ever seen.===
Wow.
As complete as this takedown has been so far, others have had to leave office for less.
“And the hits just keep on comin’…”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:42 pm
Kinda makes finding a horse’s head in your bed seem not so bad.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:53 pm
Someone has been preparing this for a while. Why drop this now?
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 5:58 pm
I think this stuff is just warning shots. If this much is being released right now, what will be dumped by the time the election kicks off? What are they holding on too?
Do they have a fatal blow or is it death by a thiusand cuts?
Comment by FormerParatrooper Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:00 pm
===Someone has been preparing this for a while. Why drop this now?===
If you’re planning on mounting a primary challenge for the Senate in 2016, this would be the time where you really shake the magic donor money tree.
Comment by GraduatedCollegeStudent Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:05 pm
Bigwitch’s comment was the best of 2015 so far!
Comment by Agreed Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:24 pm
=Someone has been preparing this for a while=
This. Someone who had resources, ability, a reason, and most of all, time. There aren’t a whole lot of folks/entities that can check all of those boxes and keep it that “clean.” Maybe not any entities at all, in fact.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:31 pm
This sounds like a case of “hell hath no fury as a (fill in the blank) scorned.”
Comment by Gone, but not forgotten Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:34 pm
Is Schock still a Senior Deputy Whip of Steve Scalise? For some reason with this latest hit, I was reminded how that random oppo story on Scalise about him speaking at some David Duke group blew up not that long ago.
I just find it hard to believe the Dems have this much invested in exposing Schock’s dirt when they have so little to gain from it. But some other folks on the GOP side might get some revenge over the Manzullo thing or how the Whip race went down.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 6:46 pm
==primary challenge for the Senate in 2016==
Possibly, @GCS. Though rollcall and others have said Schock would look at it only as an open seat if Sen Kirk retired.
This could also be done in house if that was it. Schock has time to run for another post, and not much reason to take on a new gov, Kirk and all their juice right now. Greg Hinz said ==Nor would I rule out a primary challenge to Mr. Kirk from the Republican right, though the GOP establishment was pretty effective this year in tapping down such civil wars.== They could have done this privately, or maybe fired once. This is someone who wants more, who wants to eliminate Schock.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 7:38 pm
In his TV comments tonight, Schock had the same “deer in the headlights” expression he had when they announced a couple years ago that George W. Bush was coming to Peoria to campaign for him.
He’s rattled.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 7:41 pm
Though an ==inside job== was also my first take, @GCS. Maybe it is.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 7:53 pm
===they’re just not that India.===
I’m still laughing at that one. Nicely done Six, nicely done.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 10:38 pm
Fyi. There is polling going on related to these issues. Might be more money behind this.
Comment by Sangamon GOP Thursday, Mar 12, 15 @ 11:14 pm
Wonder if Peter Roskam has anything to do with this?
Comment by ABC Lawyer Friday, Mar 13, 15 @ 12:08 am
Right Soccermom…Schock’s narcissistic flamboyant behavior was too tempting for the working media to avoid. Democrats/Special Interest Groups I am sure feed the coverage with “inside tips.” I even received a few calls from the DC media, but Schock did this to himself.
He didn’t fully grasp that all his high profile national coverage builds you up to tear you down. Once the media has run out of positive spin, they look for the negative - with Schock it was easy to find.
Comment by Louis Howe Friday, Mar 13, 15 @ 6:01 am
My sense this is someone or a group of someones who want to influence the primary next year. There has to be a candidate for the primary that this is going to help by weakening Schock. The question is the identity of this crew. Further, do they work for this candidate only or will the candidate be obligated to another group?
Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, Mar 13, 15 @ 7:01 am