Duplitecture and the Downfall of Rep. Aaron Schock

2015-03-20T15:05:00-04:00

Many and baroque have been the scandals that have toppled Illinois politicians. Rod Blagojevich, the most recent governor to be sent to prison, is behind bars for trying to sell the remaining years of Barack Obama’s Senate term. But Aaron Schock, who announced his resignation on March 17th as Republican congressman for the state’s 18th district, is the first to be felled by an over-talkative interior designer.

'Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois's 18th Congressional district is probably better known for showing off his abs on the cover of Men's Health (see below) than for any actual legislating. At 33, Schock holds the title of the third-youngest US representative, at least until the end of this month when he will resign.

Already a controversial figure for his (perhaps too) media-friendly presence, the muscular young politician became embroiled in a veritable firestorm after an unfortunate, chance encounter between his interior decorator and a Washington Post reporter.

"Bright red walls. A gold-colored wall sconce with black candles. A Federal-style bull’s-eye mirror with an eagle perched on top. And this is just the Illinois Republican’s outer office," describes Ben Terris in a recent article for the Post. When Terris ran into the woman responsible for the ornate décor, she told him, “It’s actually based off of the red room in ‘Downton Abbey,’" the popular British show that depicts the waning y...

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Duplitecture and the Downfall of Rep. Aaron Schock