FILE - U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., arrives at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles, March 16, 2022. Former Rep. Fortenberry has been charged with lying to federal authorities about a foreign billionaire’s illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign. The Nebraska Republican’s indictment on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, revives a case that was derailed by an appellate court. The grand jury in Washington, D.C.
The case stems an FBI investigation of illegal campaign contributions made by Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire who lived in Paris at the time. Chagoury made the $30,000 contribution to Fortenberry through middlemen at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles, his indictment says. Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Chagoury. A person who cooperated with the FBI investigation repeatedly told Fortenberry about the illegal contributions, his indictment says.