Feds blast back at Rep. Fortenberry's claim that he was 'set up'

Federal prosecutors have fired back against claims that the FBI “set up” Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, saying that the only set-up was when the Lincoln congressman “intentionally, repeatedly and proactively” lied to investigators.

In court briefs filed Tuesday, attorneys with the Central California U.S. District Attorney’s Office asked a judge to reject motions by Fortenberry’s defense lawyers to dismiss three felony indictments alleging he misled and lied to federal investigators.

“Contrary to defendant’s revisionist and misleading re-tellings, the only person who ‘set up’ defendant for this prosecution was defendant himself ...” stated one brief, filed by two lead prosecutors in the case.

Chad Kolton, a spokesman for Fortenberry’s reelection campaign, said Wednesday that the “attack” on the congressman’s character from prosecutors doesn’t change the fact that the FBI instructed one of its informants to call Fortenberry in 2018 to tell him something he didn’t know — that $30,000 in contributions he had received in 2016 were illegal.

Read more: https://journalstar.com/news/local/feds-blast-back-at-rep-fortenberrys-claim-that-he-was-set-up/article_877a28f7-6483-55f8-8a87-2cbad4ba87d7.html
(Lincoln Journal Star)