Senior Aide to Rep. Aaron Schock Resigns After Offensive Facebook Posts Come to Light
— -- A senior advisor to Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock has resigned in disgrace hours after racially insensitive posts he wrote on Facebook came to light today.
Benjamin Cole, who joined Schock’s office as senior advisor for policy and communications in March 2014, confirmed in a text message to ABC News that he resigned.
"I am extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments made by a member of my staff," Schock wrote in a statement released by his office. "I would expect better from any member of my team. Upon learning about them I met with Mr. Cole and he offered his resignation which I have accepted.”
Cole’s racist posts were first reported by ThinkProgress and Buzzfeed.
Before joining Schock’s office, Cole posted a series of videos and comments on October 13, 2013 mocking two African-Americans outside his apartment in Washington, DC, comparing them to zoo animals. About two months later, Cole took to Facebook to report witnessing a shooting of “one of the hood rats on my street” by “another hood rat.”
Buzzfeed also found a post from August 16, 2010 where Cole suggested that a mosque be built on the White House grounds to give President Obama a ‘house of worship.’
“I just think it would be nice for the President to have his own house of worship, since he’s not been able to find one suitable in DC since 2004 when he moved here,” Cole wrote.
The posts have since been deleted.
Cole previously held positions in the House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011.
