Nebraska representative resigns: Jeff Fortenberry forced to resign after controversial campaign funding
After 17 years, Jeff Fortenberry’s (NE - 1) career is coming to a close. To begin his career, Fortenberry was a policy analyst for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations. Fortenberry would later become a member of the Lincoln City Council from 1997 to 2001. He then would return to Washington by getting elected to the House of Representatives in 2004, replacing the retiring Doug Bereuter. During his last term in Washington, Fortenberry served on the House Committee on Appropriations, being the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. He also was on the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs.
The end of his career came in a way that people on both sides of the aisle are calling “sad.” Fortenberry was convicted on three felony counts for lying to federal investigators about illegal campaign contributions from a foreign billionaire. It is law that foreign nationals cannot donate to candidates running for federal office in the United States, and it is also illegal to disguise the identity of a donor through third-party contributions. Fortenberry kept his story straight and clear through the whole trial, saying that he had no idea what was happening, and he had no idea that he received any illegal campaign money.
When the FBI questioned Fortenberry, his intentions were to help them. Fortenberry told them everything he knew and said he was shocked when the charges came back against him. “I felt so personally betrayed. We thought we were trying to help.” During the trial, Fortenberry’s team was saying that the FBI set him up, “asking the unnamed fundraiser host to feed Fortenberry information about the donation.”
While Fortenberry plans to appeal, leaders in Washington told him he needs to do so as a private citizen, citing that people have “lost all faith and confidence” in his office.
Within 90 days, the state of Nebraska will hold a special election to replace Fortenberry. The Nebraska Democratic and Republican parties will nominate their candidates to run for Fortenberry’s seat until January. While neither side has announced their candidates, many expect it to be State Senators Mike Flood (R - D. 19) and Patty Pansing Brooks (D. 28). While it will be a tight race, each will have big shoes to fill in Fortenberry's vacancy.
The special election will take place on June 28, 2022.
https://www.ketv.com/article/special-election-date-nebraska-congressman-jeff-fortenberry/39602425#
By Andrew Schwartz