The Associated Press reports:
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska was convicted late Thursday on charges that he lied to federal authorities about an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from a foreign billionaire at a 2016 Los Angeles fundraiser.
A federal jury in LA deliberated about two hours before finding the nine-term Republican guilty of concealing information and two counts of making false statements to authorities.
Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent.
CNN reports:
Fortenberry, 61, was charged last October with three felony counts, including one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
“After learning of illegal contributions to his campaign, the congressman repeatedly chose to conceal the violations of federal law to protect his job, his reputation and his close associates,” US Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said in a statement.
Fortenberry is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28. Each charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, according to the US Attorney’s office.
Politico reports:
“We always felt like it was going to be hard to have a fair process here,“ Fortenberry said on Thursday. “So this appeal starts immediately.“ His attorneys tried to get the case transferred from Los Angeles to Nebraska, but U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. denied the change of venue.
Fortenberry is the first member of Congress to be convicted while in office since Rep. Chaka Fattah Sr. (D-Pa.) was found guilty of corruption charges in 2016.
Fortenberry’s conviction could mark the end of the nine-term Republican’s political career. A Nebraska congressman with little name recognition outside of his state, he would still be eligible to run for and serve in Congress as a felon, though a resignation is likely, given the threat of expulsion.
We know the focus is rightfully on Clarence and Ginni Thomas right now, but let’s take a minute to recognize justice being done and corruption being punished: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was just convicted on three felony counts
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 25, 2022
BREAKING: The jury took less than two hours deliberating in the federal case of Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry. He was found guilty on all three charges.@CooperOnCourts has more: https://t.co/fqsz3MFkMy
— Omaha World-Herald (@OWHnews) March 25, 2022