5 Points On Juiciest Revelations That Led To Schock’s Fall [View all]
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Schock announced with a "heavy heart" on Tuesday afternoon that he would resign from Congress effective March 31, citing questions that had been raised about his finances as "a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve and which I have set for myself."
News stories about Schock's potential misuse of taxpayer and campaign funds have been cropping up with increasing frequency since the Washington Post published photos of Schock's allegedly "Downton Abbey"-inspired office six weeks ago.
But the tone of Schock's resignation announcement contrasted starkly with the rising Republican star's earlier, flippant attitude toward inquiries into his finances. He previously brushed off criticism of his opulent office decor by shrugging "haters are gonna hate," a quote from Taylor Swift's hit song "Shake It Off." He also told a Politico reporter that he couldn't definitively say whether he broke federal campaign laws because "Well, Im not an attorney.
Amid the onslaught of negative news stories -- and a reported probe into his finances -- something made Schock decide to cave to the "haters." While it's unclear what exactly prompted the resignation, here are the five most damaging revelations about the congressman's spending habits and jet-setting lifestyle that preceded his resignation.
1. He spent $40,000 on 'Downton Abbey'-inspired office decor
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2. A group tied to him spent $24,000 on tickets to concerts and shows -- including Katy Perry's
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3. Schock turned a profit on his home by selling it to a donor
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4. He had a near-replica of President Obama's lectern
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5. Taxpayers reimbursed him for 90,000 more miles car than he actually drove in his personal car
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