Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. have filed new charges against former Nebraska Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry, following the overturning of his previous conviction in a campaign finance case. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Fortenberry had been tried in the wrong venue, leading to his conviction being reversed and the case requiring retrial in a proper jurisdiction.

Fortenberry, a former Republican congressman who served in Congress since 2005, resigned from office just two days after his March 2022 conviction. With the indictment over the same alleged incident, prosecutors now accuse him of concealing his receipt of illegal foreign and conduit contributions, referring to it as a "scheme."

According to federal prosecutors, Fortenberry accepted an illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign by Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury during a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles. Fortenberry was found guilty by a California jury of lying to federal authorities about this donation.

The grand jury indictment in Washington, D.C., emphasises that Fortenberry was aware of the legal prohibitions surrounding foreign donations to federal campaigns. They allege that Fortenberry accepted the contribution through third parties and failed to report or return the money, knowingly and willfully concealing information about the scheme. Furthermore, prosecutors claim that Fortenberry made false and misleading statements to federal investigators regarding the matter.

Fortenberry's spokesperson, Chad Kolton, criticized the Biden/Garland Justice Department's persistence in pursuing the case, stating that it seemed like an attempt to secure a conviction that would hold up. Kolton also argued that the case should not have been brought in the first place, particularly following the clear ruling in Fortenberry's favor by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Federal election regulations mandate that campaign contributions over $50 must be reported to the Federal Election Commission, while foreign donations to federal campaigns are illegal. Fortenberry's alleged violation of these regulations, along with the subsequent legal proceedings, have garnered attention and concern.

As the legal proceedings continue, it remains to be seen how the retrial in the proper jurisdiction will unfold and what the outcome will be for former Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry.