Fortenberry to resign from Congress after being convicted

[Coyote]

Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi and Pete Ricketts call for Jeff Fortenberry to resign

[youtube]

Kevin McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi and Pete Ricketts have called for Jeff Fortenberry to resign from Congress after being convicted on three felony charges for lying to the FBI.

[Louie]

And to think he was mad about googly eyes and Fartenberry at one time...

[Greg S]

Channel 7 just said he hasn’t yet decided whether or not he’s resigning.

I expect him to eventually.


Greg

[Coyote]

Fortenberry's political future uncertain as leaders call on him to resign

[youtube]

Fortenberry's political future uncertain as leaders call on him to resign

[Greg S]

He announced he is resigning.

[Coyote]

Jeff Fortenberry announces resignation

U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry announced his resignation Saturday, two days after being convicted on three felonies and one day after top leaders called for his resignation

[Coyote]

Coinciding elections will replace Fortenberry's vacancy

[youtube]

Coinciding elections will replace Fortenberry's vacancy

[Cermak]

It’s not everyday a sitting Congressman gets convicted of a felony, especially in Nebraska. This isn’t New Jersey or Illinois . A rather strange and alarming story.

[bigredmed1]

Hope he gets real jail time. This was a stupid crime and his only defense was to make his wife embarrass herself about their cellphone service.

[ricko]

The sad thing is, he really didn’t need the money. He probably would have won handily, even if Jesus H. Christ ran against him. Dumb.

[bigredmed1]

The sad thing is, he really didn’t need the money. He probably would have won handily, even if Jesus H. Christ ran against him. Dumb.

Yep.

[ArchStanton]

The sad thing is, he really didn’t need the money. He probably would have won handily, even if Jesus H. Christ ran against him. Dumb.

Yeah, it makes me wonder what all they do with this cash, as he seemed pretty elated to get it and eager to line up another event from what I read of the transcripts.

[ricko]

Laws governing contributions to political campaigns are pretty specific as far as how you can spend it, although there are ways to evade scrutiny——I’ve seen it done, but he blatantly disregarded the laws regarding foreign money——twice, even after he lied to the FBI about it. That’s a special kind of arrogance.



Now do Trump.

[bigredmed1]

Yep. Totally could have avoided the crime by telling the truth and cooperating with the FBI. Now, there are a lot of red flags about the FBI. They just got busted for some 700 documentable procedural errors. But still, someone puts cash in the back seat of a car and then suddenly a bunch of donations come in? His only defense was humiliating his wife on the stand testifying about bad cell coverage? Let him rot.

[damonhynes]

The sad thing is, he really didn’t need the money. He probably would have won handily, even if Jesus H. Christ ran against him. Dumb.

Yep.

Bingeaux.

[Coyote]

Jeff Fortenberry resigning; Special election to fill District 1 seat

[youtube]

Jeff Fortneberry resigning effective March 31

[Coyote]

Don Bacon says Jeff Fortenberry made right decision to resign

[youtube]

Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon said Jeff Fortenberry made the right decision to resign from Congress.

[Coyote]

Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement

[youtube]

Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement

[damonhynes]

Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement



Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement

Ricketts should just appoint Larry the Cable Guy and be done with it.

[Garrett]

Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement



Leaders weigh cost of special election ahead of announcement

Ricketts should just appoint Larry the Cable Guy and be done with it.

There’s gotta be another Slama sister around somewhere he can appoint.

[Coyote]

Special Election NE-1 seat planned for June 28

[youtube]

The last time a special election occurred in Nebraska for Congress was in 1951, when Rep. Karl Stefan of Norfolk passed away. Now, the residents of Nebraska's 1st Congressional District will have a special election on June 28 for a replacement.

[Coyote]

Fortenberry sentenced to probation, not prison, for lying to federal investigators
Judge said Fortenberry was a man of integrity, despite turning a ‘blind eye’ to warning that donations were illegal

LINCOLN — Former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry will not go to prison for lying and misleading federal investigators, a California federal judge announced Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld sentenced the 61-year-old Republican to two years’ probation, a $25,000 fine and 320 hours of community service. Blumenfeld said he didn’t agree with prosecutors — who had suggested a six-month prison term — that spending time behind bars would provide a significant deterrent to future crimes involving politicians lying to investigators.

[Louie]

This is a slap on the wrist to a millionaire.

[Linkin5]

Not surprising but a complete joke.

[Coyote]

Happening now: Former Nebraska congressman Jeff Fortenberry's sentenced announced



KETV NewsWatch 7

Former Nebraska congressman Jeff Fortenberry was sentenced in federal court Tuesday.

[Coyote]

Fortenberry sentenced to probation, fine for lying to FBI
Prosecution recommended prison time, $30,000 fine for former Nebraska GOP Congressman;
defense, supporters pushed for probation only

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (WOWT) - Former Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry was back in a California courtroom Tuesday morning for sentencing for lying to the FBI. Fortenberry, a Republican, was found guilty by a federal jury in Los Angeles in March. On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced him to two years probation and a $25,000 fine.

Fortenberry, 60, was sitting quietly as a federal judge read the sentence in a Los Angeles courtroom and chose not to address the court. Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. said Fortenberry “turned a blind eye and a deaf ear” to indications that the source of his donations was illicit, but he said Fortenberry was by all accounts — including prosecution witnesses — “a man of exceptional character.”

In delivering the sentence, which includes 320 hours community service, Blumenfeld cited cases of more significant public corruption that led to prison sentences of about a year and said he didn’t think incarceration would serve a purpose in this case.

[Coyote]

Prosecutors dispute Fortenberry’s appeal claims, including that he was wrongly tried in L.A.
Former Nebraska congressman maintains his misstatements were not ‘material’ to probe into illegal contributions[/size]

LINCOLN — Federal prosecutors in California pushed back Friday on appeals from former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry that he was wrongly convicted of lying to federal agents and that he was wrongly tried in Los Angeles, instead of Nebraska. In a 73-page filing, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in L.A. argued that at least three circuit court decisions have concluded the proper venue for a trial can be either the district where an offense was committed or where an offense was “directed,” or in this case, California. Prosecutors also maintained that the trial judge, U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, rightly rejected a request by Fortenberry’s defense attorneys to include “incorrect” and “unnecessary” additional instructions to jurors about the “materiality” of statements the congressman gave to FBI investigators.

[ricko]

He’s lucky he got off with just probation and a $25k fine, considering the seriousness of the crime. I guess contrition is a bridge too far.