Appeals Court Refuses to Toss Aaron Schock Charges

An appeals court refused to toss corruption charges against former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock. The court said it can’t assess whether Schock’s prosecution violated constitutional separation-of-powers clauses until after he goes to trail. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago made a unanimous ruling Wednesday and said it doesn’t believe appellate courts have the authority to address such questions until after a verdict has been made. No date has been set for Schock’s trial on a total of 22 corruption counts. The 36-year-old Republican from Peoria, Ill. was indicted in 2016 on charges of misusing funds. Schock resigned in 2015 amid scrutiny of his spending, including to redecorate his Capitol Hill office in the style of the TV show “Downton Abbey.”