An appeals court tossed the conviction of a former Republican congress member who was found guilty of lying to a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, according to court records and reports.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's (R-NE), arguing Tuesday that he should not have been tried in Los Angeles, but rather Washington D.C. or Nebraska, court records show.
Fortenberry in March 2022 was found guilty of concealing information from federal authorities investigating illegal contributions to the congress member’s 2016 re-election campaign, prosecutors announced at the time.
In court, Fortenberry claimed he did not lie to the FBI so much as misremember.
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 it 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.
