GOP lawmaker charged with lying to the FBI says lead agent in his investigation is racist

Nebraska GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry is facing charges that he lied to FBI agents and other federal investigators in regards to an inquiry into Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, who was illegally funneling foreign money into American political campaigns, including Fortenberry’s.

According to a report from KLKN, Fortenberry submitted a motion asking the court to order federal prosecutors to disclose more information in their case against him. He's also accusing the lead FBI agent in the case of tainting the investigation because of an alleged anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias.

The motion claims the special agent “appears to have been sharing and ‘liking’ racist images and content on social media platforms even as he led an investigation against congressman Fortenberry, a legislative leader in Middle Eastern affairs.”

A Fortenberry spokesperson said the motion, “highlights the hypocrisy of this California prosecutor withholding critical information from the defense team, including the disturbing possibility of bias on the part of the FBI agent who led the investigation setting up Rep. Fortenberry."

READ MORE: Feds slap down indicted GOP lawmaker Jeff Fortenberry's claim that he was 'set up'

“The defense team is asking the Court to require the government to meet its obligations to produce all the relevant materials to provide some straight answers on questions at the core of this case.”

As KLKN points out, Fortenberry pleaded not guilty back in October to one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators looking into illegal contributions to his 2016 campaign.