A federal judge sentenced former Republican Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to two years of probation Tuesday for lying to federal authorities and falsifying documents in an attempt to cover up the reception of illegal campaign donations.
Fortenberry was convicted of three felonies in March stemming from $30,000 in donations his 2016 re-election campaign received from Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury. Rather than reporting the donations as illegal, Fortenberry lied to federal agents about his knowledge of them and declined to amend a campaign finance disclosure, as required by federal law. Fortenberry resigned March 26 and has vowed to appeal his conviction.
Although Fortenberry’s convictions carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, federal judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. sentenced him to two years of probation. Blumenfeld described the actions as “out of character” for the nine-term congressman, who he said appeared to be otherwise a “man… of exceptional character.” In addition, Fortenberry will be required to complete 320 hours of community service and pay a $25,000 fine and $300 special assessment.
Breaking: Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was sentenced to two years probation for lying to the FBI and concealing information during an investigation into his campaign’s receipt of tens of thousands of dollars in illegal foreign contributions. He avoids any time in prison.
— Chris Marquette (@ChrisMarquette_) June 28, 2022
Federal prosecutors had requested that Fortenberry be sentenced to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. Fortenberry and his attorneys requested one year of probation, according to Politico. (RELATED: Jeff Fortenberry Announces In Bizarre Video That He Expects The FBI To Charge Him With A Crime)
“I am thankful Judge Blumenfeld took the time to learn about who I am and what I have done in my life. And I am grateful he recognized that ‘by all accounts’ I am a man of ‘exceptional character,'” Fortenberry said in a statement, while promising to continue the appeal.
“We are continuing the fight for fairness that we’ve waged throughout this process. The issues at stake are much bigger than me. This case shows how the federal false statements statute can be weaponized by FBI and DOJ officials in a way Congress could not have contemplated when it was enacted and that it can be used to destroy the lives of even the most honorable people,” he continued.