Rep. Aaron Schock's top aide has resigned after racially insensitive posts from his Facebook page comparing black people to zoo animals were published by ThinkProgress and BuzzFeed on Thursday.
Benjamin Cole, who joined Schock's office as senior advisor for policy and communications in March 2014, confirmed his resignation just hours after the controversial posts came to light, The Huffington Post reported. The posts have since been deleted.
"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."
On Oct. 13, 2013, Cole posted a series of videos and comments mocking two African-Americans outside his apartment in Washington, D.C., comparing them to zoo animals, ABC News reported. 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."
When the government was shut down in October 2013, another one of his posts said that "the closing of the National Zoo has forced the animals to conduct their mating rituals on my street."
In August 2010, the senior advisor wrote, "they should build a mosque on the White House grounds," Buzzfeed revealed.
"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, a former Baptist pastor and energy industry spokesman, wrote, according to ThinkProgress.
Meanwhile, Schock's team came under scrutiny this week when it was revealed by The Washington Post that the congressman had his office decorated to look like the elegant rooms from the PBS show "Downton Abbey." Shortly after, the Illinois Republican agreed to pay the decorator for her services.
