Donors Had Role In Schock’s 2014 Property Deal

The financial questions about Peoria congressman Aaron Schock keep coming.

Illinois state and county property records show that a shell company linked to the embattled GOP congressman paid a political donor $300,000 last year for a commercial property in Peoria, then took out a $600,000 mortgage for the property from a local bank run by other donors.

The newly disclosed arrangement follows similar Schock real estate deals detailed by a recent Associated Press investigation into the Republican's business transactions involving political contributors over the past decade.

The 2014 deal, which occurred after the congressman's most recent financial report, raises new questions about Schock's pattern of repeated reliance on campaign contributors.

In a Monday visit to Western Illinois University, Shock said he's unsure when the financial review of his six years in office will be complete.

Schock made his comments in Macomb during what he called "roaming office hours."

"When I am out in the district, as you saw today, what people want is ‘are you engaged? Are you working on the issues relevant to our district? Are you votes out in DC consistent with our priorities and our positions?," he said. "And I think voters see that.”

While in Macomb, Schock toured the two bay greenhouse at WIU where researchers are looking into Pennycress – a winter crop that could be used for biofuels.

Schock committed to finding federal funding to help pay for building additional greenhouse bays at Western.