© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Jeff Fortenberry, (R-NE) speaks throughout testimony by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a listening to on the State Division’s price range request for 2020 in Washington, U.S. March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photograph
By Jan Wolfe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. jury on Thursday convicted U.S. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican from Nebraska, of mendacity to FBI investigators about unlawful contributions to his 2016 re-election marketing campaign.
Following a trial in Los Angeles federal court docket, the jury discovered Fortenberry responsible of scheming to falsify and conceal materials info, together with two counts of constructing false statements to federal investigators.
Prosecutors accused Fortenberry of mendacity to investigators throughout two interviews in 2019 about $30,000 in marketing campaign contributions he obtained in 2016 from Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury.
Federal regulation prohibits international nationals from donating to federal election campaigns.
Fortenberry’s legal professionals mentioned he didn’t imply to mislead FBI brokers however was caught off-guard by their interview request and suffered from a defective reminiscence.
Prosecutors alleged that an affiliate who hosted a 2016 fundraiser for Fortenberry instructed him in a 2018 phone name that the donations in query “most likely did come from Gilbert Chagoury” however had been routed by means of intermediaries to keep away from particular person donor limits.
In line with the U.S. Justice Division, when FBI brokers quizzed Fortenberry in regards to the marketing campaign contributions he denied being conscious of any unlawful donations.
“If we need to count on anybody to observe the regulation, finally it begins with the law-makers,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer Mack Jenkins instructed media exterior the courthouse after the decision was introduced.
“I believe that is much more paramount when the investigation itself goes to election integrity.”
Fortenberry, 61, has served in Congress since 2005.
The three felony fees every carry a most penalty of 5 years in jail. A sentencing listening to is scheduled for June 28 earlier than U.S. District Choose Stanley Blumenfeld in Los Angeles.
Fusion Media or anybody concerned with Fusion Media is not going to settle for any legal responsibility for loss or injury on account of reliance on the data together with information, quotes, charts and purchase/promote alerts contained inside this web site. Please be totally knowledgeable concerning the dangers and prices related to buying and selling the monetary markets, it is likely one of the riskiest funding types doable.
