U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, flanked by his wife and other family members, speaks to reporters after the 2022 guilty verdicts. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)
LINCOLN — Former Nebraska U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has asked a judge to toss felony charges that were refiled against him in a case that led him to resign his congressional seat.
Fortenberry was convicted in 2022 of concealing illegal foreign donations to his congressional campaign and lying to federal agents about whether he knew they were illegal, based on recorded conversations with FBI agents and an informant. His trial was held in the Central District of California, in part because the charges involved a 2016 campaign fundraising event in that state.
He later got his convictions overturned, arguing successfully that the charges were filed in the wrong jurisdiction.
Motions allege political motivations
This week, his attorneys filed a series of motions aimed at collecting evidence of any alleged political motivations for his prosecution.