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Nebraska congressman convicted in LA for lying to federal agents BY CITY NEWS SERVICE
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ep. Jeff Fortenberry was convicted Thursday in Los Angeles of federal charges of concealing information and lying during an investigation into illegal campaign contributions. Fortenberry, R-Nebraska, was convicted of one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators. Fortenberry was stoic as the judge delivered the verdict, but one of his daughters stood up and began sobbing uncontrollably, The Associated Press reported. Once the jury left, Fortenberry walked over to his wife and daughters and embraced them in a hug before returning to his seat next to his lawyer, according to The Associated Press. Fortenberry told reporters outside the courthouse that the process had been unfair and he would appeal immediately. U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. scheduled a June 28 sentencing hearing. Each of the three felony charges carry a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to evidence presented during a seven-day trial, Fortenberry lied to and misled authorities during two interviews conducted by
federal authorities who were looking into illegal contributions to Fortenberry’s reelection campaign made by a foreign billionaire in early 2016. Gilbert Chagoury, a foreign national prohibited by federal law from contributing to any U.S. elections, donated $30,000 through “straw donors” who attended a Fortenberry campaign fundraiser in Glendale. It is illegal for foreign nationals to make contributions to a federal campaign. It also is illegal for the true source of campaign contributions to be disguised by funneling the money through third-party conduits. Chagoury entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2019 in which he admitted providing about $180,000 that was used to make illegal contributions to four candidates in U.S. elections. Chagoury paid a $1.8 million fine and agreed to cooperate with federal authorities. The co-host of the Fortenberry 2016 fundraiser, who is referred to in court papers at Individual H, began cooperating with federal authorities in September 2016 and informed special agents with the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations about the illegal contributions.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry. | Photo courtesy of Matt Johnson/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
In response, investigators began looking into whether the Fortenberry campaign received illegal conduit contributions, whether Fortenberry knew about illegal contributions -- both foreign contributions and conduit contributions -- at the 2016 fundraiser, whether Fortenberry knew about illegal foreign contributions from Chagoury, and whether Fortenberry had any direct
or indirect communications with Chagoury in relation to the contributions made at the 2016 fundraiser, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In spring 2018, Fortenberry contacted the co-host about hosting another fundraiser. In a June 2018 call, the co-host told the congressman on multiple occasions that a Chagoury associate -- Toufic Joseph Baaklini, who also entered into a deferred pros-
ecution agreement with prosecutors -- had provided him with $30,000 cash to route to Fortenberry’s campaign at the 2016 fundraiser. The co-host allegedly told Fortenberry that the money -which was distributed to other individuals at the fundraiser so the donations could be made under their names and avoid individual donor limits -- “probably did come from Gilbert Chagoury,” according
to the indictment. Despite learning of the illegal contributions, Fortenberry did not file an amended report with the Federal Elections Commission. Instead, after learning this information, Fortenberry made false and misleading statements during a March 23,
See Nebraska congress man Page 5
LA, Long Beach harbors adopt spending plan for Clean Truck Fund BY CITY NEWS SERVICE
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spending plan to use the Clean Truck Fund program to provide incentives for zeroemission trucks and infrastructure was approved by the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions Thursday ahead of
the program’s introduction April 1. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are the two largest container ports in the country, charge cargo owners for using trucks that don’t meet clean air standards and use the revenue to incentivize the transition to zero-emission
trucks at the San Pedro Port Complex. “Our two ports have set a high bar for getting clean trucks on our streets, and this spending plan and its incentives will help accelerate that transition. We are the only port complex in the nation that is driving a changeover to cleaner trucks
and broader zero-emission drayage truck technology commercialization to this magnitude. It’s truly a groundbreaking effort,” Los Angeles Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee said in a statement. The ports will collect a fine of $10 per 20-foot equivalent unit hauled by a
truck that does not have an exemption. Zero-emission trucks are exempt from the rate, along with trucks that meet or exceed California’s low nitrogen oxide standard through Dec. 31, 2027. Loaded containers entering or leaving marine terminals by on-dock rail will also be exempt. The rate is set
to expire on Dec. 31, 2034, according to the port. The spending plan outlines priorities for using the funds, including a program to give at least $150,000 to licensed motor
See Clean Truck Fund Page 5