Aaron Schock, a 35-year-old former Republican congressman from Illinois, was indicted in November by the U.S. Department of Justice on 24 counts, including wire fraud, theft of government funds and filing false federal income tax returns. He entered his plea in a federal court in Springfield, Illinois.

"I look forward to the truth and all the facts coming out in this case. I have complete faith in my legal team, the good people of this community, and that justice will ultimately prevail," Schock said in an emailed statement.

Schock, elected to the, U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 at the age of 27, gained a following by posting flashy photos on social media of himself traveling around the world.

But he was hounded with questions after The Washington Post reported last year about lavish decorations in his Capitol Hill office based on the PBS period melodrama "Downton Abbey."

Although staff told the Post that the interior design work had been done for free, the story prompted more investigations into Schock's spending habits, with several media outlets reporting he failed to disclose some expenditures and had to repay others after improperly using taxpayer funds. </s> The office of Representative Aaron Schock (R-IL) is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington March 17, 2015. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

(Reuters) - A former U.S. representative whose lavish Washington office raised questions about use of taxpayer money pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of defrauding the federal government and campaign committees, then trying to cover it up.

Aaron Schock, a 35-year-old former Republican congressman from Illinois, was indicted in November by the U.S. Department of Justice on 24 counts, including wire fraud, theft of government funds and filing false federal income tax returns. He entered his plea in a federal court in Springfield, Illinois.

“I look forward to the truth and all the facts coming out in this case. I have complete faith in my legal team, the good people of this community, and that justice will ultimately prevail,” Schock said in an emailed statement.

Schock, elected to the, U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 at the age of 27, gained a following by posting flashy photos on social media of himself traveling around the world.

But he was hounded with questions after The Washington Post reported last year about lavish decorations in his Capitol Hill office based on the PBS period melodrama “Downton Abbey.”

Although staff told the Post that the interior design work had been done for free, the story prompted more investigations into Schock’s spending habits, with several media outlets reporting he failed to disclose some expenditures and had to repay others after improperly using taxpayer funds. </s> SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock, who just two years ago was the future face of the Republican Party, pleaded not guilty Monday in federal court to charges that he misused government and campaign money for personal use.

The 35-year-old Republican from Peoria pronounced his plea and gave short answers to questions by U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough, who set a trial date of Feb. 7.

Appearing calm and dressed in a dark suit with thin stripes, the one-time formidable fundraiser and rising GOP star faces federal corruption charges alleging he used his position to spend lavishly on travel, World Series and Super Bowl tickets and other amenities of an extravagant lifestyle.

The tickets were later sold for a profit, prosecutors allege.

Prosecutors claim he also pocketed thousands of constituents' dollars, hosting Washington tours and meet-and-greets, charging a fee and keeping some of the cash.

Schock has said he is innocent, referring to the spending in question as "honest mistakes."

In a brief statement to reporters after his arraignment, Schock said he looked "forward to all the facts coming out in this case."

"I have full confidence in my legal team, full confidence in the good people of this community, and I'm confident that in the end justice will prevail," he said.

The 24-count federal indictment was unveiled last month. It was the culmination of a 19-month investigation that included two grand juries.

Schock is from Peoria and had asked for the case to be moved there, but Myerscough ruled that proceedings should remain in Springfield.

Schock resigned in March 2015 amid intensifying scrutiny over real estate deals, extensive travel and other spending. Questions about his spending were sparked in part by word that he redecorated his congressional office in the lavish style of TV's "Downton Abbey."

The indictment alleges Schock spent $40,000 in government funds to redecorate his Washington office, including $5,000 on a chandelier.

When Schock risked missing a connecting flight for a European vacation, the indictment alleges, he paid a private aircraft company more than $8,000 out of his campaign account to fly him from Peoria to Washington.

The indictment includes nine counts of wire fraud, five of falsification of election commission filings, six of filing false federal income tax returns, two of making false statements, and one each of mail fraud and theft of government funds. A conviction on just one count of wire fraud carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. </s> Thirteen wealthy parents, including actress Felicity Huffman, and one coach will plead guilty to using bribery and other forms of fraud as part of the college admissions scandal, federal prosecutors in Boston said on Monday.

Huffman, the “Desperate Housewives” star, pleaded guilty to paying $15,000 to a fake charity associated with Rick Singer to facilitate cheating for her daughter on the SATs, the complaint says.

She faces up to 20 years in prison. In exchange for Huffman’s plea, federal prosecutors will recommend incarceration at the “low end” of the sentencing range, a $20,000 fine and 12 months of supervised release. They will not bring further charges.

A federal judge will have the final say on the outcome for Huffman and the other defendants.

“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” she said in a statement.

“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.

“My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty,” she said in the statement.

Huffman, Gregory and Marcia Abbott, Jane Buckingham, Gordon Caplan, Robert Flaxman, Agustin Huneeus Jr., Marjorie Klapper, Peter Jan Sartorio, Stephen Semprevivo and Devin Sloane were all charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud and have agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said.

Bruce Isackson and Davina Isackson will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson will also plead guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the IRS for taking a tax deduction for the bribe.

Finally, Michael Center, the former men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Prosecutors recommended a range of sentences for those pleading guilty, from 12 to 18 months and unspecified “low end” amounts such as Huffman’s recommended sentence.

Rick Singer, who ran a college prep business, masterminded what prosecutors called the largest college admissions cheating scheme ever prosecuted in the United States.

Singer helped wealthy parents cheat on standardized tests for their children, and he bribed college coaches to falsely designate the children as recruited athletes, smoothing their path to admission.

The scheme helped the students get into highly selective universities like Yale, Stanford, University of Southern California and UCLA.

Several of the central figures in the case have already pleaded guilty, including Singer. Yale women’s soccer coach Rudy Meredith, who accepted a bribe to help a student get admitted, and Mark Riddell, who cheated for the students on the SATs and ACTs, have agreed to plead guilty and are cooperating witnesses for the prosecution.

John Vandemoer, Stanford University’s former sailing head coach, has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering.

But a number of the defendants in the case have given no signs of a coming guilty plea, including “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli.

Loughlin and Giannulli allegedly agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team, easing their acceptance to the school.

The criminal complaint says Huffman and Singer exchanged multiple emails about how to get extra time on her daughters’ SAT.

They then arranged for Huffman’s daughter to take the SAT at a location controlled by an administrator who had been bribed by Singer, the complaint states. Riddell, the brains of the operation, then flew from Tampa to California to cheat on the test for Huffman’s daughter.

Huffman’s daughter received a score of 1420 out of a maximum of 1600 on the SAT, a score about 400 points over her Preliminary SAT exam a year earlier. Huffman later discussed the scheme in a recorded phone call with Singer, the complaint says.

In court last week, Huffman acknowledged her rights, charges and the maximum possible penalties. She waived a pretrial hearing, signed conditions of her release and then was free to leave. Her husband, the actor William H. Macy, is not charged in the case.

Prosecutors will be asking for jail time for all defendants, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. The defendants are facing anywhere between six to 21 months in prison if convicted or if they plead guilty, the official added, though the exact sentence would depend on a number of factors.

USC, Georgetown University and other schools implicated in the scheme have said they are reviewing the admissions of students accused of participating. Yale and Stanford have each expelled students associated with the scam. </s> Former campaign aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and making a false statement, becoming the third associate of President Donald Trump to make a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, NBC News reported.

The plea turns up the pressure on Paul Manafort, a close business associate of Gates who was the chairman of the Trump campaign. The two were indicted in October on conspiracy and other charges related to their lobbying work in Ukraine.

A criminal information filed ahead of the plea hearing says that between 2006 and 2007, Gates and others "conspired to defraud the United States by impeding impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful governmental functions of a government agency, namely the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury."

In addition, he admits he lied about a March 19, 2013, meeting attended by Manafort, a lobbyist, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, and that he falsely denied that Ukraine was discussed and that he was preparing a report for Ukraine's leadership. </s> ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to 47 months in prison for tax and bank fraud related to his work advising Ukrainian politicians.

Judge T.S. Ellis III imposed the sentence Thursday, capping the only jury trial following indictments stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

A jury last year convicted Manafort on eight counts, concluding that he hid from the Internal Revenue Service millions of dollars he earned from his work in Ukraine.

Federal sentencing guidelines had called for a term of roughly 20 years, but few observers had expected he would receive a sentence that long.

Manafort still faces sentencing in the District of Columbia, where he pleaded guilty in a separate case connected to illegal lobbying. </s> WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former top adviser to President Donald Trump’s election campaign has formally pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false statements charges in the special counsel’s Russia investigation.

The plea by Rick Gates is a strong indication that he is planning to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates’ longtime business associate, Paul Manafort.

The 45-year-old Gates made the plea at the federal courthouse in Washington. It comes a day after Gates and Manafort were indicted in Virginia on new charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. Manafort, who is Trump’s former campaign chairman, has said he is innocent. </s> A former top adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign has formally pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy and false statements charges in the Russia investigation.

The plea by Rick Gates is a strong indication that he is planning to co-operate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as it continues to probe the Trump campaign, Russian election interference and Gates' longtime business associate Paul Manafort.

Forty-five-year-old Gates made the plea at the federal courthouse in Washington.

It comes a day after Gates and Manafort were indicted in Virginia on new charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. </s> WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC News) Former Trump campaign advisor Rick Gates pleaded guilty Friday to charges of lying to federal agents and conspiracy against the United States.

The plea is seen as a strong indication that Gates is prepared to testify against co-defendant and former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, a key target in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Court documents say Gates hid tens of millions of dollars he earned from lobbying work for Ukraine.

His plea comes one day after Mueller increased the pressure to cooperate, filing additional charges of tax fraud and bank fraud against both Gates and Manafort.

Both were first indicted on conspiracy and other charges last October. Manafort says he continues to maintain his innocence, and none of the allegations are directly related to the campaign.

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Aaron Schock, a former U.S. representative from Illinois's 18th congressional district, pleads not guilty on 24 charges including Mail fraud and tax evasion.