The FBI investigation into Lebenese-Nigerian billionaire donor Gilbert Chagoury's illegal donations to Republican politicians has now snared House Appropriations ranking GOP member Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska.
The top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee's agriculture panel raised money for a legal defense fund with claims he’s facing federal prosecution that a spokesperson later disavowed.
Driving the news: On a fundraising page for a new legal expense fund — which was later taken off-line — Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) wrote: "[President] Biden’s FBI is using its unlimited power to prosecute me on a bogus charge." Neither Fortenberry nor the FBI responded immediately to requests for comments, but a Fortenberry spokesperson later said the congressman "never saw or approved that language."
The investigation in question, the spokesperson said, had to do with illegal campaign contributions by a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire to a number of congressional Republicans. “It’s been previously reported that the FBI investigated an effort by a foreign national to illegally funnel money to U.S. political campaigns, including Rep. Fortenberry’s," he wrote. "The people involved in that scheme were prosecuted and no charges were filed against him. This legal expense trust was established in part to address costs associated with that investigation.”
Between the lines: Fortenberry's present-tense appeal was made after his campaign committee paid a new law firm over the summer, according to Federal Election Commission records. In June, it reported paying $25,000 to Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP, a California firm specializing in white collar criminal defense. It was the campaign's largest payment for legal services, to date.
Until Axios posted a story Monday morning, Fortenberry's legal expense fund was soliciting contributions of up to $5,000 per donor per year. Under House rules, the fund may accept donations from individuals, corporations and political action committees but not registered lobbyists. Records on file with the House clerk showed Fortenberry established the legal expense fund on August 27.
"Unlike Swamp Creature Nancy Pelosi, I’m a principled conservative who has NEVER abused my seat in Congress to get wealthy," its fundraising page said. "And right now I'm facing the Deep State's bottomless pockets."
Except of course he's being investigated for just that kind of power abuse.
The story is however that all Republicans are Donald Trump now: pocket the illegal cash, blame the "Deep State witch hunt" when you get caught, and plead for defense donations on your fundraising channels. Only this time there's no Trump to pardon these assholes.
We'll see where this goes. I'd like to see him in jail and his seat vacated, but it's Nebraska. It'll just end up in another crooked Republican's hands.
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