Feds investigate disgraced Congressman Aaron Schock

WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Disgraced Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock is being probed by federal prosecutors and the FBI over allegations the congressman misused public and campaign funds.

The former rising star of the GOP announced he will resign from Congress effective March 31 after questions arose over the cost to redecorate his lavish Downton Abbey-inspired office, campaign funds used for personal trips, fabricated mileage reimbursements and alleged unethical business dealings with donors.

The FBI has started issuing subpoenas and a grand jury is expected to convene in Springfield, Ill., in early April, an unnamed source told the Chicago Sun Times.

Schock, 33, was not one to shy away from the spotlight, often posting pictures of himself on extravagant trips and posing with celebrities on his Instagram account. Once the youngest member of Congress, elected at the age of 27, he touted himself as a fiscal conservative and gained a coveted seat on the Ways and Means Committee.

Due to his resignation, Schock will not have to face an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

If found guilty, he could follow in the footsteps of his former Democratic colleague in the House, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., also from Illinois, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty for misusing campaign funds in 2013.