Deal hit in ex-lawmaker’s graft case

CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors agreed Wednesday to drop all felony corruption charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock if he pays tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS and his campaign committees, a move the Illinois Republican said proved that he was targeted by a prosecutor looking for “stardom.”

Schock, a one-time rising GOP star, resigned from Congress in 2015 amid scrutiny of his spending, including decorating his office in the style of the Downton Abbey

TV series. He faced up to 20 years in prison when he was indicted a year later on two dozen counts, including wire fraud and falsification of election commission filings.

During a court hearing, prosecutors said they will drop the charges within six months if Schock holds up his part of the agreement. Prosecutors filed one misdemeanor count against one of Schock’s campaign committees, alleging improper record keeping. The committee, Schock for Congress, pleaded guilty Wednesday through an official and was fined about $26,000.

The 37-year-old said he will repay his three campaign committees nearly $68,000 and work with the Internal Revenue Service to determine how much he owes in taxes for income he didn’t report between 2010 and 2015.

“There’s a difference between mistakes and crimes, and I’ve said from the beginning that there was never intent by me or my staff to commit crimes,” Schock told reporters after the hearing.

AP/DAVID GOLDMAN Jessica Taylor prays Wednesday in Beauregard, Ala., in front of a cross for Jonathan Bowen, 9, at a makeshift memorial for the 23 victims of a tornado that struck Sunday. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey toured some of the devastation after signing a disaster assistance declaration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and ordering state flags lowered to half-staff until sunset Sunday.