Former Nebraska First District Congressman Jeff Fortenberry has scored a huge court win and is no longer a convicted felon. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overturned Fortenberry’s conviction for lying to FBI agents about campaign donations made to him by a Lebanese billionaire during a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles.
Federal law prohibits raising or using foreign funds in congressional races. Prosecutors initially sought six months in prison for Fortenberry. The judge ultimately sentenced him to two years of probation, 320 hours of community service, and ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine.
The court ruled the trial location of Los Angeles was improper, indicating Fortenberry should have been tried in Nebraska or Washington, D.C. Upon receiving news of the court’s opinion, Jeff Fortenberry issued a statement. “We are gratified by the Ninth Circuit’s decision. Celeste and I would like to thank everyone who has stood by us and supported us with their kindness and friendship.”
Fortenberry resigned from office in 2022 and now works in the private sector in Lincoln.