{"id":1531952,"date":"2022-06-29T08:04:10","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T12:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1531952"},"modified":"2022-06-29T08:04:21","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T12:04:21","slug":"fbi-lies-and-entrapment-result-in-probation-sentence-for-former-republican-congressman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-lies-and-entrapment-result-in-probation-sentence-for-former-republican-congressman\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI Lies And Entrapment Result In Probation Sentence For Former Republican Congressman"},"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%2Ffbi-lies-and-entrapment-result-in-probation-sentence-for-former-republican-congressman%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=1531952&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><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screen-Shot-2022-06-28-at-12.44.47-PM-1024x643-1.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Nebraska, has been sentenced to probation for lying to the federal government. But the only things we know for certain are that the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/therecorder\/2022\/03\/24\/trey-gowdys-legal-advice-to-us-rep-jeff-fortenberry-becomes-prominent-issue-in-criminal-trial\/?slreturn=20220527113521\">lied<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/12\/12\/fortenberry-indictment-524107\">entrap Fortenberry<\/a>, and used two men who broke campaign finance laws to betray the congressman in his zeal to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>A Los Angeles jury convicted Fortenberry in March on three felony counts of lying to the FBI and scheming to cover it up. The congressman faced a maximum sentence of 15 years \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/legal\/599705-rep-fortenberry-found-guilty-of-lying-to-fbi-about-illegal-campaign-contributions\/\">five years for each count<\/a>. The prosecution had sought a six-month prison sentence. Tuesday, however, U.S. District Judge\u00a0Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox8live.com\/2022\/06\/28\/ex-gop-rep-fortenberry-gets-probation-lying-feds\/\">sentenced the former congressman to two years of probation<\/a>, as well as a $25,000 fine and 320 hours of community service.<\/p>\n<p>In handing down his sentence, Blumenfeld said that everyone, including the prosecution witnesses, attests that Fortenberry is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox8live.com\/2022\/06\/28\/ex-gop-rep-fortenberry-gets-probation-lying-feds\/\">\u201ca man of exceptional character.\u201d<\/a> Fortenberry and his defense team are appealing the convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Under 18 U.S.C. \u00a71001, it is a federal crime to tell a government official or agency a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1011now.com\/2022\/04\/27\/fortenberry-files-motion-toss-conviction\/\">\u201cmaterial\u201d lie<\/a>. That means a lie that, if the government were to believe it, would have the tendency of affecting an official\u2019s or agency\u2019s course of conduct. Ironically, the FBI and the DOJ are guilty of doing exactly the things with which they charged Fortenberry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Would I Lie to You?<\/h2>\n<p>The case stems from a February 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles in which Fortenberry participated. Toufic Baaklini, a U.S. citizen, Maronite Catholic, and advocate for Christians in the Middle East, used the fundraiser to channel the money of a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire, Gilbert Chagoury, to Fortenberry\u2019s campaign. Campaign donations from foreign nationals are illegal.<\/p>\n<p>Baaklini, then a long-time friend of the congressman, testified at Fortenberry\u2019s trial that he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1011now.com\/2022\/03\/21\/day-four-fortenberrys-trial-reveals-details-about-fundraiser-donations\/\">knew such conduit donations were illegal<\/a>, but he misled Fortenberry by having $30,000 of Chagoury\u2019s money divided among a number of people at the fundraiser so no red flags would be raised regarding the contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Elias Ayoub, another Maronite Catholic who helped organize the L.A. fundraiser, also admitted in court that he has made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1011now.com\/2022\/03\/21\/day-four-fortenberrys-trial-reveals-details-about-fundraiser-donations\/\">a number of illegal campaign contributions using Chagoury\u2019s money<\/a>, including to U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. In addition, <em>both Baaklini and Ayoub <\/em>testified that Fortenberry didn\u2019t know the contributions had come from Chagoury, and Baaklini testified that Fortenberry raised that very issue early in the fundraising process.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1011now.com\/2022\/03\/21\/day-four-fortenberrys-trial-reveals-details-about-fundraiser-donations\/\">KOLN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska<\/a>, reported this past March, Baaklini made a stark admission in court to John Littrell, Fortenberry\u2019s lawyer, saying he didn\u2019t want Fortenberry to know about the illegal nature of the contributions, even when the congressman <em>specifically<\/em> asked if there was anything wrong with the fundraiser.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou lied to protect him, didn\u2019t you?\u201d Littrell asked Baaklini. Baaklini replied yes.<\/p>\n<p>So why isn\u2019t Baaklini facing possible prison time, as well as Ayoub? Because the FBI and the DOJ wanted a bigger fish\u2014a sitting U.S. congressman\u2014and used Baaklini and Ayoub as witnesses at Fortenberry\u2019s trial.<\/p>\n<h2>A Man of Good Character<\/h2>\n<p>In serving Nebraska\u2019s first congressional district since January 2005, Fortenberry has distinguished himself as a man of integrity in both his personal and professional life. In sworn testimony, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-California, a liberal Democrat and Chaldean Catholic who has worked with Fortenberry on aiding Christians in the Middle East, affirmed her Republican colleague\u2019s character.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he brings honor to what he does because of the individual he is,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.1011now.com\/2022\/03\/23\/prosecution-rests-case-against-fortenberry-defense-calls-first-witness\/\">Eshoo said<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s faith-filled, he\u2019s honest. His word is always good, and I can\u2019t say that about all members of Congress, and you find out the hard way.\u201d Eshoo added that Fortenberry had a reputation of being a rule-follower.<\/p>\n<p>Also, Fortenberry had been regularly targeted by opponents in his reelection campaigns, including because of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2015\/mar\/05\/nebraska-congressman-glitter-bombed-pro-choice-campaigners\">his defense of the unborn<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/aleteia.org\/2021\/02\/15\/congressman-says-he-is-preparing-bill-that-will-transcend-abortion-debate\/\">and women harmed by abortion<\/a>, yet he easily won reelection term after term. So if Fortenberry is known by Democratic colleagues as being honest, and he <em>directly<\/em> asked Baaklini if the 2016 fundraiser in L.A. was tainted and was told everything was fine, how did the government make their case against the congressman?<\/p>\n<h2>Anatomy of an Abusive Prosecution<\/h2>\n<p>Even though the DOJ had zero evidence that Fortenberry had committed any crime, they had Ayoub tape a June 2018 conversation with the congressman. After the call, Fortenberry was concerned enough to tell his wife, his chief of staff, and his lawyer that he had renewed concerns about the 2016 fundraiser.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in March 2019, the FBI came to Fortenberry\u2019s home in Nebraska and deliberately lied to him and his wife, saying they were <a href=\"https:\/\/nebraskapublicmedia.org\/ja\/news\/news-articles\/updates-rep-jeff-fortenberry-faces-federal-corruption-allegations\/\">there for a national security issue<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2022\/03\/24\/prosecutor-fortenberry-put-himself-above-law-and-duty-00020339\">not a criminal matter<\/a>. That lie disarmed Fortenberry, striking him as believable because of his service on a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee whose work deals with U.S. foreign relations.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI agents also quizzed Fortenberry on various matters, and later said Fortenberry lied about not knowing Ayoub. In fact, the congressman didn\u2019t recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/journalstar.com\/news\/local\/fortenberry-called-police-on-federal-agents-investigating-illegal-campaign-contributions\/article_6fd103e4-8d1c-5fc8-912d-81516cfed1b7.html#tncms-source=signup\">a 10-year-old photo of Ayoub<\/a>, as it showed him with dyed-black hair and black eyebrows, whereas, Ayoub, now 77, has silver hair and silver eyebrows.<\/p>\n<p>An FBI agent did ask Fortenberry whether he knew that lying to a federal agent was a crime. The congressman responded that he did. His recollections of his unbeknownst-taped conversation with Ayoub the previous June were sketchy, not because he lied, but because of faulty recall and Fortenberry\u2019s tendency to multi-task during fundraising calls, as his wife Celeste testified, because he didn\u2019t enjoy doing them. <\/p>\n<p>In the process, Fortenberry missed Ayoub\u2019s point that Chagoury had likely contributed to the 2016 fundraiser. His failure to recall that was another instance, the DOJ argued, which showed the congressman\u2019s intent to deceive, as well as Fortenberry\u2019s assertion on the same call that he\u2019d be interested in doing another fundraiser with Ayoub.<\/p>\n<p>In a July 2019 interview in Washington, D.C., the FBI also lied to Fortenberry and his attorney, Trey Gowdy, the former Republican congressman from South Carolina. Gowdy specifically asked the FBI agents whether Fortenberry was a target of their investigation. They said he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn\u2019t true, and the FBI and DOJ cobbled together a case, saying that Fortenberry had not only lied but had deliberately tried to deceive the FBI. Part of making their case was that Fortenberry\u2019s former lawyer testified she couldn\u2019t recall the contents of her June 2018 conversation with Fortenberry, but she said she would\u2019ve definitely remembered had he mentioned anything about possible illegal donations.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Stickler for the Law Who Also Deliberately Deceives?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Never mind that this same attorney testified that Fortenberry was in the habit of calling her a lot\u2014a virtue that affirms Eshoo\u2019s assessment that Fortenberry is committed to adhering to the law. Nevertheless, based on the attorney\u2019s testimony, the DOJ argued that Fortenberry had further willfully withheld self-incriminating evidence about the fundraiser, even though, again, Baaklini had testified that the congressman had directly asked whether the contributions were illegal early in the process and he\u2014Baaklini\u2014had lied to Fortenberry in saying they weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Fortenberry\u2019s alleged crimes took place while he was on the phone in his Nebraska home. Nevertheless, because the prosecution argued his actions had relevance to their investigation in California, they succeeded in <a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2021\/11\/03\/fortenberry-asks-court-to-dismiss-indictment\/\">changing the legal venue to Los Angeles<\/a>, a well-known leftist region where seating a jury unfavorable to the congressman was much more likely than in Nebraska, Fortenberry\u2019s congressional home.<\/p>\n<p>The venue issue is a likely ground for Fortenberry\u2019s appeal, as is the argument that Fortenberry didn\u2019t not materially lie to the FBI.<\/p>\n<h2>Lying Is Okay if the Government Does It<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, the government\u2019s conduct in this case is very disturbing. An FBI agent admitted at the March trial that he had lied to Fortenberry at his home in March 2019, but he said that is part of the FBI\u2019s normal tactics to extract the truth.<\/p>\n<p>However, the DOJ and the FBI, both agencies of the executive branch of the U.S. government that includes the president as chief executive, had no substantive basis to pursue a criminal investigation of Fortenberry, a sitting congressman who had a <a href=\"https:\/\/omaha.com\/news\/state-and-regional\/crime-and-courts\/jeff-fortenberry-found-guilty-on-all-3-counts\/article_a34d09ca-aba6-11ec-abc5-6fe2776c6cd8.html\">sterling reputation<\/a> for integrity. Instead, even though they knew that Baaklini and Ayoub had clearly violated the law, and despite Baaklini\u2019s admission that the congressman had directly asked him whether the L.A. fundraiser was tainted, they pursued Fortenberry.<\/p>\n<p>In short, they went on a legal fishing expedition to concoct a case against the congressman. Fortenberry\u2019s failure to be attentive during his fundraising calls, and errors in his recall, are evidence of personal imperfections. But they are certainly <em>not<\/em> the basis of a legitimate criminal prosecution, let alone convictions.<\/p>\n<h2>A Disturbing Legal Precedent<\/h2>\n<p>Our federal government, based on a system of checks and balances that the founders established almost 250 years ago, presumes that the respective branches\u2014executive, legislative, and judicial\u2014will conduct themselves with integrity in interacting with each other. When trust is undermined, our system of government is jeopardized. By abusively wielding power to intimidate a legislator, the FBI and DOJ threaten that delicate balance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Unhealthy competition between the branches will consume them and devour any chance that public officials will rise above petty bickering and destructive partisanship to cooperate in the best interests of the country. By enlisting the judiciary to turn that threat of prison into a potential reality, the FBI and DOJ have turned the system on its head.\u00a0 What the founders intended as an aggressive but civil competition is now in danger of becoming a deadly serious game which menaces the civil liberties and freedoms of those who dare to undertake public service.<\/p>\n<p>This episode should be especially disconcerting to all faithful Catholics and other Christians concerned about their place in a society that is increasingly hostile to religion. Indeed, Fortenberry ended up a prosecutorial target precisely because of his work defending the right of Middle Eastern Christians to live and practice their faith. Christians especially must answer the call, and stand up against this most troubling evolution in the DOJ and FBI\u2019s battle with Congress.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Tom Nash is a journalist, theologian, and author who has served the Catholic Church for more than 30 years, including as a theology advisor at the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Joseph Cosby is a seasoned attorney with more than 30 years of experience litigating cases in federal court. He practices law in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Nebraska, has been sentenced to probation for lying to the federal government. But the only things we know for certain are that the FBI and Department<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":988,"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-1531952","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\/1531952","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\/988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1531952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1531952\/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=1531952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1531952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1531952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}