Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock's senior adviser has resigned in the wake of revelations about racist and derogatory remarks he reportedly posted on Facebook.
Benjamin Cole, who joined Schock’s office as senior adviser for policy and communications in March 2014, confirmed his resignation in a text message,
ABC News reports.
"I am extremely disappointed by the inexcusable and offensive online comments made by a member of my staff," Schock wrote in a statement given to
the Peoria Journal Star.
"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."
The controversial posts first were reported by Think Progress and BuzzfeedNews; they have been removed from Cole's Facebook pages, ABC News reports.
According to ABC News, Cole posted videos and comments on Oct. 13, 2013
— before he joined Schock's office
— mocking two African-Americans outside his apartment in Washington, D.C., 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," ABC News reports.
Buzzfeed also found a post from Aug. 16, 2010, when Cole suggested a mosque be built on the White House grounds to give President Barack Obama a "house of worship," ABC News reports.
Cole worked for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2009 to 2011,
the Chicago Tribune reports.
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