•June 13, 2018•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

A friend recently asked: What ever happened to Aaron Schock?

The ex-wunderkind congressman from Peoria, Schock, 36, resigned in March of 2015 amid media allegations of possible misuse of government and campaign funds. He was indicted by the U.S. Attorney in Springfield in November 2016 on 24 counts of alleged wrongdoing.

I talked with lawyers, felons, reporters and former judges who are all knowledgeable about prosecutions by the federal government, including in the Schock case.

I have come away with a strong sense of the awesome power of the federal government in prosecuting its citizens. Putting aside guilt or innocence of those indicted, I conclude it isn’t a fair fight.

If I am correct, are there ways to level the playing field somehow between the resources of the government and defendants?

At age 19, Aaron defeated the president of the Peoria School Board in a write-in campaign. From 2005-08, he served in the Illinois House and then in the U.S. House from 2009 until his resignation, serving districts that include my residence in central Illinois.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.