{"id":1402886,"date":"2022-03-27T11:30:03","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T15:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1402886"},"modified":"2022-03-27T11:30:06","modified_gmt":"2022-03-27T15:30:06","slug":"rep-jeff-fortenberry-to-resign-after-felony-convictions-for-lying-to-fbi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-jeff-fortenberry-to-resign-after-felony-convictions-for-lying-to-fbi\/","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to Resign After Felony Convictions for Lying to FBI"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frep-jeff-fortenberry-to-resign-after-felony-convictions-for-lying-to-fbi%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1402886&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) announced his resignation from Congress on Saturday, effective March 31, after a federal jury convicted him on felony charges for lying to federal authorities about an illegal campaign donation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been my honor to serve with you in the United States House of Representatives,\u201d Fortenberry\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annalecta\/status\/1507825771099918342\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>\u00a0in a letter to his colleagues. \u201cDue to the difficulties of my current circumstances, I can no longer effectively serve.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">HUGE NEWS: Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) is resigning from Congress effective March 31 after calls to resign over his conviction on charges related to lying to the FBI about an illegal \u2018straw donor\u2019 scheme bankrolled by a foreign billionaire.<\/p>\n<p>More:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BtaeHNeRlj\">https:\/\/t.co\/BtaeHNeRlj<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lgePdlJo0r\">pic.twitter.com\/lgePdlJo0r<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annalecta\/status\/1507825771099918342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After Fortenberry was found guilty of three felonies on Thursday, he faced bipartisan calls from House leadership to resign from office. \u201cI think when someone\u2019s convicted, it\u2019s time to resign,\u201d House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/26\/fortenberry-resigns-from-congress-after-felony-convictions-00020677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongressman Fortenberry\u2019s conviction represents a breach of the public trust and confidence in his ability to serve. No one is above the law,\u201d\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/26\/fortenberry-resigns-from-congress-after-felony-convictions-00020677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>\u00a0Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Fellow Nebraska Republican Don Bacon applauded Fortenberry\u2019s decision to resign. \u201cI respect Rep. Fortenberry\u2019s tough, but right decision to resign from his position and wish him and his family the best,\u201d Bacon\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/26\/fortenberry-resigns-from-congress-after-felony-convictions-00020677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Fortenberry is scheduled for sentencing on June 28. Each count carries up to five years of federal prison and fines. Fortenberry intends to appeal his convictions.<\/p>\n<p>As The Guardian\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2022\/mar\/27\/us-congressman-resigns-after-being-convicted-of-lying-to-fbi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Fortenberry was indicted in October after authorities said he lied to FBI agents in two separate interviews about his knowledge of an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign from a foreign billionaire. Fortenberry was interviewed at his home in Lincoln, and then again with his lawyers present in Washington DC.<\/p>\n<p>At trial, prosecutors presented recorded phone conversations in which Fortenberry was repeatedly warned that the contributions came from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. The donations were funnelled through three strawmen at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>According to court documents reviewed by the Washington Post, Chagoury was accused of making illicit campaign contributions worth up to $180,000 to four American political candidates, including Fortenberry.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After a grand jury indicted Fortenberry on two charges of making false statements and one charge of scheming to deceive federal agencies in October, he\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/rep-jeff-fortenberry-resigns-from-house-appropriations-subcommittee-after-being-indicted-on-charges-of-lying-about-campaign-contribution\/2021\/10\/20\/1710f93a-31e4-11ec-9241-aad8e48f01ff_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resigned<\/a>\u00a0from his role as ranking member of the House Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>In his resignation letter, Fortenberry quoted a poem written on Mother Teresa\u2019s childhood home walls. \u201cPeople are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway,\u201d one line reads. \u201cIf you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway,\u201d another line read.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway,\u201d the poem\u00a0<a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annalecta\/status\/1507825771099918342\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concluded<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Under state law, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts (R) has up to 90 days to schedule a special election for a vacant congressional seat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) announced his resignation from Congress on Saturday, effective March 31, after a federal jury convicted him on felony charges for lying to federal authorities about an<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1402886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1402886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1402886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1402886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1402886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1402886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1402886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}