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Schock Spokesman Resigns; Made Racial Comments

Library of Congress

Racially-charged social media posts led to the resignation of a senior advisor for Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL).

Benjamin Cole resigned after reports surfaced about social media posts made in 2013. 

The liberal political blog ThinkProgress posted a video from Cole’s page. The header of Cole’s post compares African Americans in the video to zoo animals.

Cole called people involved in a shooting incident as “hood rats” in another reported post. 

Schock said he is “extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments.” He accepted Cole’s resignation after learning about the posts.

The comments follow a Washington Post report this week that Cole tried to shut down coverage on free decorating work in Schock’s congressional office in Washington DC.

The Office of Congressional Ethics has been asked to look into the free decorating as a possible violation of House Rules.  That request was made by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Schock said he intends to pay the decorating company for the work.  

Schock has also reportedly been under scrutiny by an ethics committee investigating whether he violated federal law and House rules regarding campaign contributions.