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Posted: 2021-10-19T21:18:40Z | Updated: 2021-10-19T21:21:44Z

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska, accusing him of lying to the FBI and concealing information from federal agents who were investigating campaign contributions funneled to him from a Nigerian billionaire.

The U.S. attorneys office announced that the federal grand jury in Los Angeles had indicted the nine-term Republican on one charge of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.

The indictment stems from an FBI investigation into $180,000 in illegal campaign contributions from Gilbert Chagoury. The contributions were funneled through a group of Californians from 2012 through 2016 and went to four U.S. politicians, including $30,200 to Fortenberry in 2016 and $10,000 to then-Rep. Lee Terry, who represented the Omaha area in 2014.

The indictment alleges that a cohost of the 2016 fundraiser told Fortenberry that the donations probably did come from Chagoury, but Fortenberry never filed an amended campaign report with the Federal Election Commission as required. It says he later made false and misleading statements to federal investigators during the March 23, 2019 interview.

According to the indictment, Fortenberry falsely told investigators that he wasnt aware of an associate of Chagoury being involved in illegal contributions, that the donors were publicly disclosed and that he wasnt aware of any contributions from a foreign national.

In a second interview in July 2019, the indictment says Fortenberry denied that he was aware of any illicit donation made during the 2016 fundraiser.

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