FBI Refiles Charges Against Ex-U.S. Congressman Fortenberry Over Alleged Bribes from Tinubu Associate Gilbert Chagoury

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has refiled charges against former U.S. Congressman Jeffrey Fortenberry, accusing him of “falsifying and concealing” campaign donations received from Nigerian-Lebanese businessman Gilbert Chagoury, a known associate of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

Fortenberry, who resigned from the House of Representatives in March 2022 following initial charges in California, is now facing a fresh indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The FBI alleges that Fortenberry violated federal election laws by accepting and failing to disclose donations from Chagoury, a foreign national, which is strictly prohibited.

The U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) mandates that candidates for federal office must not accept donations from foreigners and must accurately disclose the names and addresses of donors contributing more than $50. Additionally, the FEC prohibits conduit contributions, which involve using other people’s names to make donations.

The original case against Fortenberry was dismissed in California due to improper venue, prompting the FBI to refile the charges in Washington, D.C. The indictment reveals that an FBI informant collected $30,000 from Chagoury, previously convicted and pardoned in Switzerland for money laundering, and distributed it among various individuals who then donated it to Fortenberry’s campaign.

This donation was made at a 2016 fundraiser near Los Angeles, but Fortenberry did not disclose it in federal election filings. In a 2018 phone call, the FBI informant informed Fortenberry multiple times about the illegal nature of the 2016 fundraiser’s funds. Despite this, Fortenberry failed to amend his reports to disclose the illicit donations and denied knowledge of them in a 2019 interview with federal investigators.

The FBI charges focus not on the collection of the money in 2016 but on Fortenberry’s alleged lies about the donations during the 2019 investigation. He claimed ignorance of the foreign donations and insisted he would have been “horrified” to learn the fundraiser money was illegal, despite being clearly informed of this in 2018.

Fortenberry misleadingly stated that he ended the 2018 phone call after hearing a concerning comment. The indictment states that in March 2019, he made “false and misleading statements” to federal agents after being warned that lying to the federal government is a crime.

Fortenberry has retained legal representation to contest the charges. A spokesperson for Gilbert Chagoury declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Peoples Gazette reporter.