Former GOP Rep. Fortenberry charged with lying about illegal campaign contribution

Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has been charged with lying to national authorities astir a overseas billionaire's amerciable $30,000 publication to his campaign, reviving a lawsuit that was derailed by an appellate court.

A national assemblage convicted the Nebraska Republican successful 2022, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Fortenberry's condemnation past year, ruling that the lawsuit should not person been tried successful Los Angeles.

A expansive assemblage successful the nation's superior indicted Fortenberry connected Wednesday connected 2 counts: falsifying and concealing worldly facts and making mendacious statements.

COURT REVERSES FORMER NEBRASKA US REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY'S CONVICTION FOR LYING TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES

Chad Kolton, a spokesperson for Fortenberry, said the lawsuit should not person been brought successful the archetypal spot and should not beryllium pursued again aft the 9th Circuit ruled successful his favor.

"This lawsuit has defined overzealous prosecution from the earliest days of the investigation, and retrying it successful D.C. conscionable highlights the prosecutors’ vindictive obsession with destroying a bully man’s life," Kolton said successful a statement.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., arrives astatine the national courthouse successful Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

After his conviction, Fortenberry announced his resignation from the bureau that helium had held since 2005. He had been nether unit from legislature leaders and Nebraska’s Republican governor.

The lawsuit stems an FBI probe of amerciable run contributions made by Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire who lived successful Paris astatine the time. Chagoury made the $30,000 publication to Fortenberry done middlemen astatine a 2016 fundraiser successful Los Angeles, his indictment says.

Chagoury aboriginal agreed to wage a $1.8 cardinal fine. Foreign nationals are prohibited from straight contributing wealth to candidates for national offices successful the United States.

Fortenberry was charged aft denying to the FBI that helium was alert helium had received illicit funds from Chagoury. A idiosyncratic who cooperated with the FBI probe repeatedly told Fortenberry astir the amerciable contributions, his indictment says.

The 9th Circuit ruled that Fortenberry was improperly tried successful Los Angeles due to the fact that helium was charged successful transportation with statements that helium made to national agents astatine his location successful Lincoln, Nebraska, and astatine his lawyer’s bureau successful Washington.

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Fortenberry's proceedings was the archetypal for a sitting subordinate of Congress since Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, who was convicted of bribery and different felony charges successful 2002.