Former Congressman Aaron Schock has agreed to pay thousands of dollars in fines in exchange for prosecutors dismissing his felony corruption case.
The Peoria Republican admitted in federal court that he purchased World Series and Super Bowl tickets at face value and sold them for a profit of more than $42,000.
Schock made the admission during an appearance Wednesday morning in Chicago federal court. Prosecutors said they would drop his felony corruption case if he agreed to repay taxes and his campaign committees. He also admitted during the hearing that he submitted mileage reimbursements without documentation.
Schock resigned from Congress in 2015 amid scrutiny of his spending. He was indicted in 2016 on 22 counts, including wire fraud and falsification of election commission filings.
Schock spoke to reporters Wednesday after the hearing. He admitted he made mistakes, such as record keeping. But he says they weren't crimes. He says the mistakes happened in part because he was working hard to represent a large congressional district. The 18th Congressional District includes more than 200 communities.
Schock says there was never an attempt by him or his staff to commit crimes. He believes prosecutors saw him as a "ticket to stardom." His defense attorney, George Terwilliger, says prosecutors were "overzealous."
The case was originally filed in central Illinois. The Justice Department transferred it to prosecutors in Chicago last year.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of Illinois said Wednesday that it had no comment on Schock's allegations.
