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By Barton Lorimor Email | @bartonlorimor
* Here’s where that takes an interesting turn…
Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock bought a new Chevy Tahoe for nearly $74,000 with campaign cash in 2014, sold it to back to the dealership in April and yet was spotted with the Tahoe in May after the dealer allowed him to “continue to drive it at no cost,” court papers unsealed Tuesday said.
…
Schock resigned from Congress amid questions about his spending, including mileage reimbursements involving a different Tahoe he owned earlier. He sold that vehicle to Green Chevrolet in Peoria in July 2014, at the same time buying a 2015 Tahoe from the same dealership and paying with campaign cash, according to a court filing signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass.Schock is known to be a good friend of Jeff Green, president of the dealership.
Green donated to Schock’s campaigns and flew the lawmaker to events in private aircraft. He also traveled on official trips with the then-congressman to India and Saudi Arabia.
Schock had the 2015 vehicle titled to him personally, then received mileage reimbursements from his taxpayer-paid office account and two campaign funds, the prosecutor’s filing said.
Back to Lynn…
Though Schock sold the Tahoe back to Green Chevrolet — whose owner is a longtime supporter — on April 6 for $46,000, he was allowed to continue to drive it at no cost, the government document says.
Federal agents observed the Tahoe at the Peoria airport on May 20 with dealer plates on it.
“I talked to the feds and they seem to have all the information. Thanks,” Jeff Green, of Green Chevrolet, told the Chicago Sun-Times after being asked about the Tahoe.
Schock, as a private citizen after March 31, is free to accept a loaner car from anyone.
Emphasis added.
* Related…
* AARON SCHOCK RECORDS SUBPOENAED DAY BEFORE RESIGNATION
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 5:44 am
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Hubris.
Knowingly engaging in unneeded shenanigans usually comes back to haunt, and in this case, it’s the Feds haunting a ghost of a Tahoe. That Tahoe, isn’t very ghostly, I mean, between less than transparent mileage reimbursements, now this ghost of a SUV appears after its sale?
Hubris.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 6:18 am
Schock and his donors have to hang together or hang separately perhaps. The real estate deals have always seemed to me to be more significant than the mileage or unreported trips. Hopefully this keeps the feds interested in connecting the dots.
Comment by Midway Gardens Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 7:34 am
As a young man, I have lived off the largess of corporations. I had new cars, stayed at elegant accommodations, dined in first class restaurants and hosted expensive events attended by wealthy people.
You do this for several years and you become disconnected from reality. It becomes very easy to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain your public façade.
From the time he figured out how to work all the public angles in order to craft his image, Aaron seemed to be able to play these games too. In a black and white world, there lies a huge expanse of gray that is fun to play in. A neat suit, a good haircut, a muscular youthful appearance, and a big smile opens a lot of doors there.
But one day, the jig is up. For me that day arrived when a girlfriend showed up at my penthouse apartment with a positive pregnancy test. My jolt back to reality wasn’t public, but it was quite sudden and complete. Within a month I had lost everything.
For Aaron Schock, his jolt back to reality was public. It also arrived in the form of a subpoena. He lost everything.
It hurts to lose the things you love, but take for granted until it is gone. For this young man, his public downfall is a high price to pay. His resignation clearly exposed him as someone who knew what he was doing, how he was living, but had been raised to recognize when that jig he created for himself, ended. Alas, Aaron Schock rediscovered his moral conscience as the lawyers arrived.
In America, you can be a flame-out, yet get other chances. Aaron is a sharp bright man, regardless if he is on the cover of a muscle magazine, a fashion magazine, on the floor of a legislature, or behind the wheel of a borrowed car. He’ll still have that, and there is value in it.
I wish him luck.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 7:36 am
Geez, still working the scams for luxury goods after he knew the federales were on him.
Wth an attitude like that, I’m sure they’ll find plenty to tune him up but good.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 7:36 am
How convenient that the U.S. House passes a law making its members’ records their “personal property,” not subject to subpoenas.
Somehow I don’t think their sanctimonious immunity is going to work for Mr. Schock.
Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 8:09 am
Who is paying the use tax on that Tahoe?
This is a pretty great example of an inappropriate use of a dealer plate.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 9:17 am
VMan: Quite the dramatist!
Comment by walker Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 9:55 am
VanillaMan, dude you can’t tease us like that. What happened? If you don’t want to tell us the truth at least treat us to some tasty BS. I personally want to believe that you settled down married your girlfriend, have a lovely daughter and raise yaks in rural Southern Illinois to support Tibetan polio victims. Just sayin, that’s what I think happened.
Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 10:15 am
A Chevy costs $74,000? I had no idea.
Comment by Joe Biden Was Here Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 10:51 am
Vanilla I hear you.
The poor/oppressed can understand the plight of the privileged who lost the privilege.
The public cannot understand the plight of the privileged who lost the privilege.
We all live in a world of “that could never happen to me … and … I am not like that”.
Forgiveness and understanding are in short supply in the public domain.
Give the kid a break. Who are we to judge?
Comment by gg Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 11:15 am
The stories are based on “sources” so theyre not fleshed out, but I really don’t get what Schock is pursuing regarding “immunity.”
He’s the target. Why would the federales grant him immunity in exchange for his dropping objections to hand over his records? The purpose of obtaining the records is prosecution.
And they’re looking for criminal acts. Heck, the Supremes ruled 8-0 that Nixon had to give up the tapes to the special prosecutor.
Comment by Wordslinger Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 11:27 am
If these facts are accurate ,Schock is looking at a plea deal and a year and a day sentence at the worst or probation if the Judge decides that is appropriate
Comment by Sue Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 11:42 am
Sad. It might be time to look for a hopefully short-term cell with red walls.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 12:55 pm
“Schock denied immunity”. Is this the first time he has ever been denied something?
He can always go back to being a notary public - he had immunity in that job.
Comment by Qui Tam Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 2:31 pm
The information that he has is not substantiated gather the evidence before the indictment
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 12, 15 @ 2:47 pm