Judge denies Rep. Fortenberry's motions to dismiss charges

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OMAHA, Neb. – A national justice connected Monday rejected U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s attempts to disregard charges accusing the Nebraska Republican of making mendacious statements to FBI agents who were investigating an amerciable overseas donation to his campaign.

U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. denied Fortenberry's motions to get the lawsuit tossed, expanding the likelihood that helium volition person to basal proceedings successful a Los Angeles national court.

Fortenberry is accused of lying to the FBI and concealing accusation from agents who were looking into a donation his run received from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. Chagoury made the $30,000 publication done a middleman astatine a 2016 fundraiser successful Los Angeles.

Agents interviewed Fortenberry twice, and prosecutors allege that the nine-term Congressman falsely told them helium was unaware that the donation had travel from an amerciable overseas root and that helium had decently disclosed each of his run donations. Prosecutors allege that Fortenberry was warned successful a telephone telephone that the donation was amerciable and that helium didn't decently disclose them successful his run filings.

Fortenberry was archetypal elected to Nebraska's heavy Republican 1st Congressional District successful 2004 and helium has easy defeated his Democratic challengers implicit the years. Some Democrats reason that the indictment makes him much susceptible successful the district, which includes left-leaning Lincoln arsenic good arsenic surrounding farmland and much blimpish tiny towns successful eastbound Nebraska.

Fortenberry’s attorneys sought to person the charges dismissed connected the grounds that the congressman made the statements to agents astatine his location successful Lincoln and successful Washington D.C., and not successful the California judicial territory wherever he's charged. Blumenfeld connected Monday denied that motion, ruling that Fortenberry's alleged statements were tied to the national probe successful Los Angeles.

“Because Defendant’s allegedly mendacious statements were directed astatine national investigative efforts occurring successful this district, the Court finds that venue is due successful the Central District of California,” the justice wrote.

Blumenfeld rejected Fortenberry's arguments that his statements didn't person immoderate effect connected the national investigation, and the congressman's claims that helium didn't person a ineligible work to disclose the allegedly concealed information. He besides rejected Fortenberry's claims that prosecutors had concocted aggregate charges from a azygous alleged offense.

Blumenfeld besides denied Fortenberry's question to disqualify a authoritative from the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins. Fortenberry's attorneys person said they wanted to telephone him arsenic a witness, and they judge Jenkins misled Fortenberry's erstwhile lawyer into reasoning that authorities wanted to interrogation Fortenberry arsenic a imaginable witness, not arsenic a people of their investigation.

Fortenberry inactive has a question pending to effort to suppress statements helium made to investigators. A tribunal proceeding is acceptable for Jan. 11. His proceedings is scheduled to commencement Feb. 15, but it has already been postponed respective times.

Campaign spokesperson Chad Kolton said Fortenberry volition proceed to combat the charges.

“This lawsuit inactive has tremendous flaws, which person existed from the earliest days of the probe and stay adjacent aft today’s decision," Kolton said. "Mr. Fortenberry has ever had large religion successful the American people’s quality to justice what is just and just. Nebraskans volition spot this lawsuit intelligibly for what it is: a California prosecutor’s effort to usage deceptive investigative tactics to acceptable up a wide respected subordinate of Congress.”

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