Former Nebraska Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry is facing new charges from federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., following a decision by an appeals court to overturn his previous conviction in a campaign finance case due to being tried in the wrong venue.
After the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals nullified Fortenberry's conviction for lying to the FBI about illegal campaign contributions in California, citing that the trial should have taken place where the alleged crime occurred, prosecutors have brought forth a new indictment in Washington, D.C. The charges accuse Fortenberry of orchestrating a "scheme" to hide his acceptance of unlawful foreign and conduit donations.
Fortenberry, aged 63 and a congressman since 2005, resigned from his position just two days after his conviction in March 2022.
In 2022, a California jury convicted Fortenberry of deceiving federal authorities regarding an illicit $30,000 donation to his campaign from Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury during a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors revealed that it was only after being questioned by federal investigators in July 2019 that Fortenberry disclosed the contributions.
