Republican Rep. Aaron Schock has hired attorneys and a public relations team as he continues to be embroiled in a potential funds scandal. A report alleges the Illinois congressman used donor and congressional funds for private flights, concerts and other expenses. Though the congressman has defended these expenses, he has launched an internal investigation.

Schock, 33, one of the youngest representatives in Congress has hired two attorneys, William McGinley and Donald McGahn, as well as Republican communications experts Ron Bonjean and Brian Walsh, according to The Associated Press. This could help the beleaguered congressman respond to these allegations, which has not addressed in full.

The Associated Press was the first to investigate the Illinois congressman's expenses in a report released on Monday. The AP correlated Rep. Schock's expenses with the timestamps on his Instagram feed. The young congressman uses the social media site frequently posting photos of him in different destinations from Buenos Aires to concerts.

Rep. Schock used donors' private jets to travel around the country to various destinations. He used his House office account to pay for flight expenses for these trips aboard the private jets, adding up to more than $35,000 between 2011 and 2013. He also used donors' money, through the GOP Generation Y PAC, to pay for around $24,000 worth of concert and festival tickets. Among these was $1,928 for a sold out Katy Perry concert to which he took his interns.

Many of the donors who flew Rep. Schock around had donated thousands of dollars to different PACs as well as the representative's political campaigns.

Now, the congressman has announced he will begin an internal investigation into his expenditures, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Attorneys McGahn and McGinley have been entrusted to conduct the investigation.

"After questions were first raised in the press, Congressman Schock took the proactive step of assembling a team to review the compliance procedures in his official office, campaign and leadership PAC to determine whether they can be improved," his office said in the first official statement concerning the matter.

"Congressman Schock takes his compliance obligations seriously which is why he took this proactive step to review these procedures."

However, he may face an ethics investigation, USA Today reports. Congress has specific rules against using private or donor funds for private travel on non-charter planes. The House ethics manual states "personal, official or campaign funds for a flight on a noncommercial aircraft is generally prohibited." Though a congressperson can file for an exemption with the Ethics Committee, Rep. Schock has not said whether his office did.

The Illinois congressman's latest troubles stem from unreported gifts and meals he received while in London, reports Politico. This also includes an event at a Maryland gold course, which has gone unreported. Politicians must always report expenses past certain amounts, which Rep. Schock has not done.

Related