U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry, who represents Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District, was found guilty by a federal jury Thursday of concealing information and making false statements to federal authorities who were investigating illegal contributions made by a foreign national to the congressman’s 2016 re-election campaign.
Fortenberry, 61, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who has served in Congress since 2005, was found guilty of one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
According to evidence presented during a seven-day trial, Fortenberry lied to and misled authorities during two interviews conducted by federal authorities who were looking into illegal contributions to Fortenberry’s re-election campaign made by a foreign billionaire in early 2016. Gilbert Chagoury, a foreign national prohibited by federal law from contributing to any U.S. elections, donated $30,000 of his money through “straw donors” who attended a Fortenberry campaign fundraiser held in Los Angeles.
It is illegal for foreign nationals to make contributions to a federal campaign. It also is illegal for the true source of campaign contributions to be disguised by funneling the money through third-party conduits.
“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,” said United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “The lies in this case threatened the integrity of the American electoral system and were designed to prevent investigators from learning the true source of campaign funds.”
Prosecutors argued Fortenberry lied about what he knew about the illicit donation during an interview at his Lincoln home in March 2019 and a follow-up meeting four months later in Washington.
Fortenberry is facing calls to resign from both sides of the aisle.
“I want to discuss with him today. I think he had his day in court. I think if he wants to appeal, he could go do that as a private citizen. But I think out of respect, you can let me talk to him today, but I think when someone’s convicted, it’s time to resign,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said a day after Fortenberry’s conviction came down.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for the convicted lawmaker to leave Congress.
“Congressman Fortenberry’s conviction represents a breach of the public trust and confidence in his ability to serve. No one is above the law,” the California Democrat said in a statement. “Congressman Fortenberry must resign from the House.”
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. scheduled a June 28 sentencing hearing. Each of the three felony charges carry a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
