'Downton Abbey' congressman's aide resigns over Facebook posts
A top adviser to Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock has resigned after controversial posts were found on his Facebook page. Benjamin Cole, a senior adviser to Schock, told POLITICO he resigned and that Schock, a Republican, accepted his resignation. Story Continued Below The posts had Cole likening black people to animals and said a mosque should be built on the White House grounds for President Barack Obama. It caps quite a strange week for Schockâs office. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Schock had decorated his office in the manner of the British show âDownton Abbey.â Cole had interacted with the reporter and tried to tamp down the story. His back and forth with the Post reporter was detailed in the story. On Thursday, ThinkProgress and BuzzFeed found the controversial posts on Coleâs Facebook page. âSo apparently the closing of the National Zoo has forced the animals to conduct their mating rituals on my street. #gentrifytoday Pt. 1,â Cole wrote during the government shutdown in October 2013.