SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge has ordered former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock to provide some records to prosecutors as part of a grand jury probe into the Peoria Republican’s spending.
U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough’s ruling, issued Feb. 12 and unsealed Wednesday, followed months of legal wrangling over documents that Schock’s lawyers argue should be confidential.
Among the 16 records that Myerscough said Schock must turn over are 2011 documents related to a joint campaign fund-raising committee he controlled and draft limited-liability corporation agreements related to his “personal business dealings.”
He also must produce emails about his travel and a real estate investment — some of which were exchanged days before Schock announced on March 17, 2015, that he would resign at the end of the month amid questions about congressional and campaign spending.
Schock, 34, has since been issued at least two grand jury subpoenas seeking campaign and congressional records. FBI agents also have removed boxes and other items from his central Illinois campaign office.
Lawyers for Schock didn’t respond to requests for comment Saturday.
They have argued that the one-time Republican Party rising star has provided thousands of pages of documents to prosecutors but that some records shouldn’t be turned over because they involve attorney-client communications or were prepared in preparation for litigation.
After reviewing the 72 documents in question, Myerscough agreed that some may be kept confidential and indicated in her ruling that prosecutors and Schock’s lawyers had reached an agreement regarding most of the others.
Schock came under intense scrutiny in early 2015 for his spending, including redecorating his office in the style of TV’s “Downton Abbey.”
