President Donald Trump's Justice Department has moved to dismiss the case prosecuting former Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (NE).
Fortenberry was convicted in 2022 of hiding illegal foreign donations to his congressional campaign, which is a breach of federal law. He then lied to the FBI, which is also a federal crime and it was being further prosecuted.
The case was paused after an appeals court ruled that the charges should have been brought in a different venue, either Nebraska or Washington, D.C. Now, Trump has ensured that Fortenberry will not face further charges.
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The donor, Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, confessed to making illegal donations in 2019, and paid $1.8 million in fines. He then agreed to cooperate with the FBI investigation into Fortenberry. Chagoury told Fortenberry that the contribution wasn't legal in 2018, but Fortenberry didn't do anything to remedy the situation.
Instead, the charges allege that he misled the FBI about what he learned and when he learned it while denying that he received the money.
Once convicted, he claimed that he was too old for prison. It was ultimately ruled that he didn't have to serve any time in prison.
Still, Fortenberry appealed the subsequent guilty ruling to the three-judge panel, claiming that the district court denied his motion to dismiss the case because the venue was improper in the Central District of California.
Fortenberry resigned in 2022 after being given two years probation.
