US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska expects to be indicted

By GRANT SCHULTE
Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska expects to be charged with lying to the FBI while federal agents were investigating campaign contributions funneled to him from a Nigerian billionaire. The nine-term Republican is proclaiming his innocence and promising to fight the charges. Fortenberry says in a YouTube video posted Monday night that he was “shocked” and “stunned” by the allegations. Knowingly making false statements to a federal agent is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. The expected indictment stems from an FBI investigation into $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions from Gilbert Chagoury, including $30,200 to Fortenberry in 2016. The contributions were funneled through a group of Californians from 2012 through 2016.