Courthouse News Service reports:
Republican Congressman Jeff Fortenberry faces a criminal trial beginning Wednesday on charges of concealing and lying about campaign contributions from a Nigerian-born, Paris-based billionaire in 2016.
Fortenberry, 61, stands accused of concealing the illegal contributions from Gilbert Charougy once he was made aware of them in 2018 and lying to federal investigators on two occasions when he was interviewed the following year. If convicted, he faces as long as five years in prison on each of the three charges.
The nine-term congressman, representing Nebraska’s 1st District, will be tried in Los Angeles federal court because that is where the 2016 fundraiser occurred. His lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have the trial moved to Nebraska, citing Fortenberry’s “compelling need” to have the case tried as soon as possible because he faces challengers for his House seat “from both the left and the right” in the May 10 primary.
Read the full article. Last month Fortenberry argued that he didn’t purposely lie to the FBI, claiming that he is old and was confused.
Nebraska Congressman @JeffFortenberry stands accused of concealing illegal campaign contributions when he became aware of them and lying to the FBI. @edpettersson https://t.co/7xLHHWWtBT
— Courthouse News (@CourthouseNews) March 16, 2022