WASHINGTON (Washington Insider Magazine) – Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was found guilty on Thursday of lying to federal investigators about an illicit campaign donation from a Nigerian-Lebanese billionaire in 2016.
Fortenberry, who is serving his 9h term, was found guilty of one count of conspiring to falsify and hide relevant facts and 2 counts of providing incorrect statements to federal authorities by a federal jury in Los Angeles. According to NBC NEWS, each count bears a potential punishment of 5 years in jail as well as fines.
Outside the courthouse, he informed reporters that he will file an appeal.
In October, Fortenberry, a representative of the Appropriations Committee, was accused of lying to the FBI over a $30,000 donation from Nigerian Gilbert Chagoury to his 2016 re-election race. Contributions to federal contenders in US elections are forbidden for foreign nationals.
During a Los Angeles fundraiser in 2016, authorities alleged Chagoury used “straw donors” to raise $30,000 in donations to Fortenberry’s re-election campaign.
In 2019, Chagoury settled into a deferred prosecution settlement with the US attorney’s office and admitted to contributing $180,000 in illicit campaign donations to 4 candidates in the US election.
During Fortenberry’s 7-day trial, prosecutors successfully established that he deceived the investigators on 2 occasions when questioned whether he knew about the illicit donation in interviews.
In addition, Fortenberry, 61, did not file an updated report with the Federal Election Commission.
Before reaching the guilty verdicts, the jury discussed for almost 2 hours.
When he interacted with prosecutors in March 2019, after finding about the illegal donation, Fortenberry falsely claimed he was unaware that one of Chagoury’s ties, Toufic Joseph Baaklini, was engaged in it, according to prosecutors. They further alleged that Fortenberry indicated that all donations at the 2016 fundraiser were publicly declared and that he was unaware of any foreign national contributions.
Prosecutors claimed Fortenberry denied knowledge of any illegal donations made during the 2016 fundraiser and that he had been informed Baaklini contributed $30,000 in cash at the fundraiser in a 2nd interview 2 months later.
Fortenberry’s sentence has been set for June 28.
It’s unknown whether Fortenberry will continue in Congress or what consequences he would face if he doesn’t.
Fortenberry is up for re-election in the Republican primary in May, and he is up against 5 opponents, including Senator Mike Flood, who is widely regarded as the best candidate. Flood has made Fortenberry’s legal problems a point of contention in his congressional campaign.
Fortenberry was initially elected in Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District in 2004 and has won re-election in the traditionally conservative state many times since then. In 2020, he won 59 percent of the vote against his Democratic opponent.
