Amid waves of stories that Washington insider David Young’s floundering campaign is canceling TV ads because he is struggling to raise money from anywhere except the Beltway, Washington insider David Young turns to – drumroll, please – fellow Washington insider Aaron Schock?
Schock is hosting a rally for Young today in Urbandale, according to the Iowa GOP.
“After 20 years in Washington, David Young thinks the person to fix his sinking campaign is Washington insider Aaron Schock, who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for improper fundraising,” said Brandon Lorenz of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “DC David Young and Aaron Schock have at least one thing in common – they’ve both showed during their time in Washington, D.C. that they think they can play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.”
BACKGROUND:
Congressman Aaron Schock Alleged to Have Illegally Solicited Donations for a Republican Super PAC. According to Politico: “The allegations against Schock stemmed from a bitter GOP primary battle in Illinois last year between Rep. Adam Kinzinger and former Rep. Don Mazullo. Schock backed Kinzinger in the primary, and he began asking other members like Cantor for campaign contributions in order to run TV ads supporting Kinzinger. The money, including a $25,000 donation from Cantor’s leadership fund, was funneled to a super PAC called the Campaign for Primary Accountability, which spent more than $200,000 on the race on Kinzinger’s behalf.” [Politico, 2/06/13]
- Office of Congressional Ethics: Reason to Believe Schock Violated Federal Law. According to the Office of Congressional Ethics, Schock may have solicited contributions for the Republican super-PAC, Campaign for Primary Accountability, in excess of $5,000 per donor, while raising money for Representative Adam Kinzinger. “There is substantial reason to believe that Representative Schock violated federal law, House rules and standards of conduct,” the Office of Congressional Ethics contended. [News Gazette, 2/8/13]
Young Raised More than $500,000 for Senator Grassley, While Serving as his Chief of Staff. In 2014, the Associated Press reported that Young “raised more than $500,000 in donations for Sen. Chuck Grassley’s 2010 re-election campaign, even while Young served as Grassley’s full-time chief-of-staff.” [Associated Press, 7/29/14]
Young Received Two Payments Two Weeks Apart of More than $24,000. In 2014 the Associated Press reported that Young’s “payments from Grassley’s campaign of $26,550 and $24,592 to Young came two weeks apart after Grassley’s re-election. But they straddled separate calendar years, which allowed Young to stay just under the $26,955 limit in outside annual income that’s allowed for high-ranking Senate staff members.” [Associated Press, 7/29/14]
Young did not take a Leave of Absence as Chief of Staff. In 2014, the Associated Press reported that Young, “did not take a leave of absence from his $169,000 job as Grassley’s chief of staff.” [Associated Press, 7/29/14]
Associated Press: Ethics Experts Said Young Took Advantage of a Legal Loophole. In 2014, the Associated Press reported: “Ethics experts said [Young] appeared to take advantage of a legal loophole by having the payments split into different years.” [Associated Press, 7/29/14]
- Headline: Young’s foes: Grassley work proves insider claim [Associated Press, 7/29/14]