WASHINGTON — Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria billed his campaign for a $1,136 stay at a luxury hotel in Greece in 2009, but repaid the money after a watchdog group reported it, an aide said Thursday.
Schock, 30, a Republican in his second term in Congress, stayed at the Hotel Grande Bretagne during a trip to Athens on Oct. 1, 2009, according to Steven Shearer, his chief of staff. The hotel advertises “breathtaking” views of the Parthenon, and rooms starting at $284.
Federal election rules don’t allow the use of campaign funds for personal vacations. The bill for the Greek hotel was reported by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
“The hotel in Greece was a mistake,” Shearer said Thursday.
Shearer said a credit card receipt had been “included with a stack of other legitimate campaign expenses. That receipt should not have been mixed in with his campaign receipts for that month.”
