Nebraska congressman Jeff Fortenberry is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, with each of the three charges carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison
Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury illegally donated $30,000 through “straw donors” at a Fortenberry campaign fundraiser in California in 2016, according to the attorney’s office. One of these was a Washington, D.C., businessman named Toufic Baaklini. In 2019, after admitting to illegally paying $180,000 in total to four candidates in U.S.Elias Ayoub, the co-host of that Feb. 2016 fundraiser, later cooperated with federal authorities.
During two meetings with the FBI in March and July of 2019, Fortenberry denied knowing about the foreign money, prosecutors said. The congressman’s lawyers argued that their client was possibly distracted or had a poor phone connection. Fortenberry’s wife testified that he disliked the process of fundraising and was often on “autopilot,”was indicted in October.
“To be accused of this is extremely painful and we are suffering greatly,” he said in a video uploaded to YouTube shortly afterward. “We will fight these charges. I did not lie to them. I told them what I knew. … Hopefully this all ends happily, for the sake of justice, for the sake of my integrity, and for the sake of the American system. This is wrong on so many levels.”
Fortenberry has a scheduled sentencing date of June 28, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Speaking outside the courthouse on Thursday, he said he would appeal immediately. Fortenberry is still eligible to run for reelection, and in a January video said he intends on doing just that. However, several outlets have noted it’s more likely that he resigns under the threat of expulsion from Congress. Additionally,
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