Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry resigned Saturday afternoon, facing mounting pressure from Congressional leaders and Nebraska’s GOP governor to resign after a California jury found him guilty of lying to federal authorities about an illegal donation 30 $000 for a campaign from a Nigerian billionaire.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called on the nine-term congressman to leave office, as did Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, who backed Republican top contender Fortenberry.
“The people of Nebraska deserve active and determined representation,” Ricketts said. “I hope Jeff Fortenberry does the right thing and retires so his constituents have confidence while he focuses on his family and other things.”
U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry, NB, center, resigned after being found guilty of lying to the FBI about illegal campaign contributions totaling $30,000 from a Nigerian billionaire.
Fortenberry resigns with poem written on Indian orphanage wall
The allegations arose from an FBI investigation into illegal $180,000 campaign contributions by billionaire Gilbert Chaguri, pictured at a 2008 Beverly Hills charity event.
McCarthy said he wrote to Fortenberry about the conviction. “I think when someone is convicted, it’s time to retire,” McCarthy told reporters in Jacksonville, Florida.
Pelosi said that Fortenberry’s conviction “represents a breach of public trust and confidence in his ability to serve.” Nobody is above the law.
On Saturday, Fortenberry resigned with a one-page letter.
“Dear colleagues! When I’m having a hard time, I sometimes read a poem written on the wall of Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Calcutta, he began.
The poem contains the lines: “People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Please be kind in any case.
“If you succeed, you will have some false friends and some real enemies. Good luck anyway.
“If you are honest and frank, people can deceive you. Be honest and frank in any case.
Fortenberry signed, “It has been an honor to serve with you in the United States House of Representatives. Due to the difficulties of my current circumstances, I can no longer serve effectively. I will retire from Congress effective March 31, 2022.”
On Thursday, a federal jury in Los Angeles deliberated for about two hours before finding Fortenberry guilty of withholding information and two counts of perjury to authorities.
Fortenberry was charged after he denied to the FBI that he knew he received illegal funds from Gilbert Chaguri, a Lebanese-born Nigerian billionaire who lives in Paris.
The three men who smuggled money to Fortenberry from Chaguri were Lebanese and linked to In Defense of Christians, a Fortenberry-backed non-profit organization dedicated to combating religious persecution in the Middle East.
In front of the courthouse, Fortenberry said the process was unfair and that he would appeal immediately, and said he was going to spend time with his family.
“I get so many wonderful messages from people from literally all over the world who are praying for us and fighting for us,” he said.
Fortenberry, 61, argued in court that the congressman did not know about the contribution, but agents ordered the whistleblower to give him the information within a 10-minute call to catch him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Jenkins said prosecutors have not yet considered what punishment they will seek when Fortenberry is sentenced on June 28. Each count carries a potential five-year prison sentence and fines.
Vince Powers, a trial veteran in Lincoln, Nebraska, who followed Fortenberry’s case, said the judge would likely rely on federal rules when deciding which sentence to hand down.
Powers said that based on his reading of the instructions, Fortenberry could face 15 to 21 months in prison.
Given Fortenberry’s whereabouts, Powers said he would likely be sent to FPC Yankton, a minimum security federal prison in Yankton, South Dakota, about 180 miles north of Lincoln.
The judge could also deviate from the guidelines by issuing a higher or lower sentence. But Powers said it was unlikely Fortenberry would receive only probation.
Fortenberry was charged with two counts of making false statements to federal investigators and one count of conspiracy to falsify and conceal material facts.
“I don’t understand how he doesn’t go to jail,” said Powers, a former chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party.
Felons have the right to run for and serve in Congress, but the vast majority prefer to resign under threat of exclusion. Congressional rules also prohibit members from voting on the law after a felony conviction unless their constituents re-elect them.
It was the first trial of a sitting congressman since Rep. Jim Trafficant, a Democrat from Ohio, was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.
Fortenberry’s October indictment prompted a major Republican challenge from State Senator Mike Flood, the former Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, who has since garnered support from Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman.
The winner of the GOP primary is likely to face State Senator Patty Pansing Brooks, Democrat from Lincoln, but Nebraska’s 1st congressional district is heavily Republican and hasn’t been competitive in decades.
On Friday, Pansing Brooks said Fortenberry’s conviction was a “wake-up call” that the county needed change and called for an overhaul of campaign finance laws to improve transparency.
The resignation marks the end of Fortenberry’s nearly two decades in Congress and comes after both party leaders in the House of Representatives called for him to resign.
“We can’t afford to go back to business as usual until this dust settles,” Pansing Brooks said, adding that Nebraska is likely to “become the butt of jokes” over Fortenberry’s denunciation.
Fortenberry, 61, did not testify in court, but his lawyers argued that he did not know about the contribution and that agents ordered the whistleblower to give him the information within a 10-minute call to set him up.
Jenkins, a federal prosecutor, said there was enough recorded evidence in the case, and the jury’s quick verdict confirmed the prosecution’s efforts.
“We think it was a simple story,” Jenkins said. “The politician got into the circulation of money and power. And like I said, he went astray.
Jenkins said the verdict should serve as a reminder to lawmakers that foreign influence and violations of the Federal Campaign Act are taken seriously.
“I didn’t lie to them. I told them what I knew,” said Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who announced in a YouTube video last October that he was awaiting indictment. Now he’s retired
“Legislators must follow the law,” Jenkins said. “If we want someone to follow the law, ultimately it starts with lawmakers, and I think that’s even more important when the investigation itself is about election integrity.”
Jenkins said the investigation, known as the Titan’s Grip, is still ongoing.
Jenkins was asked if Fortenberry would have been prosecuted if he had disclosed and returned the money sooner, as other politicians did when they found out about the donations.
He said it was hard to tell, but that Fortenberry’s “inaction” was indicative of a “cover-up scheme”.
Other lawmakers who received money from the group included Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah; Republican Darrell Issa, California; and former Republican Rep. Terry Lee, who served in Nebraska’s 2nd congressional district.
A POEM BY MOTHER TERESA
People are often unreasonable, illogical and selfish.
Forgive them anyway.
Mother Teresa from Kolkata, India
If you are kind
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Please be kind in any case.
If you are successful
you will make some false friends and real enemies.
Good luck anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people can deceive you.
Be honest and frank in any case.
What you build over the years
someone can destroy in one night.
Build anyway
If you find peace and happiness
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good things you do today
people often forget tomorrow.
At least do good.
Give the world the best you have
and that may never be enough.
Give the best you have anyway.
You see
Ultimately, this is between you and God;
In any case, it was never between you and them.