Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigns after being found guilty of lying to FBI

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) said Saturday that he will resign from Congress after he was convicted Thursday on three felony counts for lying to federal investigators about illegal campaign contributions from a foreign billionaire.

Yesterday 9:11 PM

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rep-jeff-fortenberry-resigns-after-being-found-guilty-of-lying-to-fbi/ar-AAVxbDL

Flashback:

Fortenberry Runs for Re-Election Despite Indictment

January 10, 2022

https://politicalwire.com/2022/01/10/fortenberry-runs-for-re-election-despite-indictment/

Judge dismisses Fortenberry's challenges of indictment over campaign contributions

Fortenberry, a Republican who has represented eastern Nebraska’s 1st District since 2005, is charged with three felonies — two counts of making false statements to federal agents and one count of seeking to conceal the source of $30,000 in “conduit” political contributions from a 2016 California fundraiser.

*The funds originated with Gilbert Chagoury, a Paris-based Nigerian, who purportedly directed the donations to Fortenberry because of a shared interest in protecting Christians from persecution in the Middle East. It is illegal for foreigners to donate to U.S. political campaigns.

Jan 3, 2022

https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/judge-dismisses-fortenberrys-challenges-of-indictment-over-campaign-contributions/article_0c5f288c-6cc1-11ec-8dde-8b33dffbcc30.html

Fortenberry, a Nebraska Republican, is accused of hiding information and lying to FBI agents who were investigating an illegal $30,000 donation made by Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury during a Los Angeles fundraiser for his campaign in 2016.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/us-rep-jeff-fortenberry-appears-headed-for-trial-after-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-charges/ar-AASoAps

Lebanese-Nigerian Billionaire and Two Associates Resolve Federal Probe into Alleged Violations of Campaign Finance Laws

Gilbert Chagoury, 75, who presently resides in Paris, France, paid $[1.8] million to resolve allegations that he, with the assistance of others, provided approximately $[18]0,000 to individuals in the United States that was used to make contributions to four different federal political candidates in U.S. elections.

Relatedly, two Chagoury associates – Joseph Arsan, 68, also of Paris, and Toufic Joseph Baaklini, 58, of Washington, D.C. – agreed to resolve allegations that they violated campaign contribution laws by assisting Chagoury in his illegal contributions.

Arsan agreed to pay $1.7 million in penalties

Baaklini admitted to giving $30,000 in cash provided by Chagoury to an individual at a restaurant in Los Angeles who, along with others, later made campaign contributions to the 2016 campaign of a U.S. congressman.

Baaklini also agreed to pay a $90,000 fine as part of his agreement and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation.

March 31, 2021

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/lebanese-nigerian-billionaire-and-two-associates-resolve-federal-probe-alleged

*Chagoury has been a supporter of Bill and Hillary Clinton since the 1990s. He has funded their election campaigns and is a major donor to the Clinton Foundation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Chagoury

Five Devastating Facts About Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Funder, Gilbert Chagoury

1. Gilbert Chagoury donated nearly a half-million dollars to Democratic party voter efforts before attending the Clintons’ White House Christmas party.

2. Chagoury was convicted of laundering millions.

3. Chagoury’s name was once on a federal no-fly list.

4. Chagoury was named a “kingpin” of Nigerian corruption.

5. Chagoury admitted in British court to bribery.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/08/11/five-devastating-facts-about-hillary-clintons-foreign-funder-gilbert-chagoury/