Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, US congressman from Nebraska, resigned after he was found guilty to have lied to the FBI about an illegal contribution to his campaign from a Nigerian billionaire.
Gatekeepers News reports that Fortenberry, 61, who has served in Congress since 2005, was accused of lying to investigators about being aware of receiving $30,000 in campaign contributions from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian businessman of Lebanese descent. Chagoury is a Paris-based industrialist and was reportedly once a top advisor to Sani Abacha, former Nigerian military ruler.
Being a foreign national, Chagoury is prevented by law from donating to US elections.
During the trial, both prosecution and defence focused on a 2018 phone call between Fortenberry and Dr Elias Ayoub, who was the co-host of the 2016 fundraiser where the congressman received the donation.
Ayoub, who was cooperating with the FBI, secretly recorded the 10-minute call and told Fortenberry that he had distributed $30,000 to third-party “straw donors” to donate to Fortenberry’s campaign.
During the call, Ayoub told Fortenberry that the money had probably come from foreign billionaire Chagoury.
In 2019, Gilbert Chagoury admitted to funneling approximately $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions to four different federal political candidates in the US and paid a $1.8 million fine.
The three men involved in the alleged scheme to funnel the money to Fortenberry were all of Lebanese descent and had links to In Defense of Christians, a nonprofit Fortenberry supported that aims to fight religious persecution in the Middle East, AP reports.
On Saturday, Fortenberry announced that he is resigning from Congress following pressure from political leaders in Nebraska and Washington. His resignation will take effect on March 31.
“It has been my honor to serve with you in the United States House of Representatives,” he wrote.
“Due to the difficulties of my current circumstances, I can no longer effectively serve.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Fortenberry, who is found guilty of three felonies, is set to be sentenced on June 28 and each count carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
