Aaron Schock Returns to Venezuela for Promised Gold Mine as $100,000 Consulting Work Draws Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 8
Aaron Schock Returns to Venezuela for Promised Gold Mine as $100,000 Consulting Work Draws Scrutiny
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 8
Summary
Valencia, Venezuela, was Schock’s latest stop last month, with flight records showing he returned to Carabobo province to pursue a gold-mine opportunity he said was promised after a 2025 Caracas meeting.
That trip capped a yearlong effort to shape Trump-era Venezuela policy while chasing an eight-figure payoff, according to messages, calendars and associates who said Schock believed sanctions relief could unlock both oil business and gold access.
Schock had been hired in February 2025 for a one-time $100,000 strategic consulting payment by Florida donor Harry Sargeant III, while later logging $185,000 in business expenses tied to the Venezuela push.
The campaign also raises legal and ethical questions: Schock did not file under FARA despite contacts tied to Venezuelan interests, and former aide Benjamin Papermaster said Schock avoided registration to preserve House-floor access.
The return marks an unlikely second act for the ex-congressman, who resigned in 2015 amid spending scandals and has since tried to rebuild his image through real estate, MAGA politics and now overseas dealmaking.