Updated at 3:32 p.m. ET
Rep. Aaron Schock, the Illinois Republican whose lavish spending has come under heavy scrutiny, has resigned.
NPR's Juana Summers tells our Newscast unit that Schock will resign his House seat at the end of the month.
Here's Schock's statement on his resignation, which was first reported by Politico:
Focus on Schock's spending habits intensified last month when The Washington Post reportedthat the congressman had decorated his office to resemble the red room in Downton Abbey, the hit PBS series. The woman who designed the room had apparently done it for free, leading to ethics questions. Schock, 33, responded by saying he would pay her for the work. Later, there were reports that Schock billed taxpayers and his campaign thousands for private flights or trips taken on planes owned by donors.
The Associated Press reported this week that the Office of Congressional Ethics reached out to the congressman's associates as it apparently begins an investigation. The news service also reported on business deals involving Schock and his political donors over the past decade. The AP adds:
The AP says the congressman had built much of his estimated $1.4 million fortune through real estate investments with his donors.
(You can read the full AP story here)
In a statement, House Speaker John Boehner said Schock had "put the best interests of his constituents and the House first."
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