FBI refiles charges against U.S. lawmaker for accepting bribes from Tinubu’s ally Gilbert Chagoury
Mr Fortenberry resigned from the House of Representatives in March 2022 after he was initially charged in California.

ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE • JULY 11, 2024

Gilbert Chagoury with Tinubu and Fortenberry
The Federal Bureau of Investigations has refiled simmering charges against former U.S. congressman Jeffrey Fortenberry that bordered on “falsifying and concealing” campaign donations received from Nigerian-Lebanese businessman Gilbert Chagoury, a close associate of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

The U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) prohibits federal office seekers from accepting donations from foreigners and mandates them to disclose names and addresses of donors who give more than $50, a law that the FBI said Mr Fortenberry clearly violated.

The FEC also forbids conduit contributions to stop individuals and entities from donating to election campaigns using other people’s names.

In the event that the FEC was previously furnished with wrong information, the election law allows politicians to disclose accurate information, including the source of funds, in amended reports.

The former U.S. lawmaker was previously charged in California, but the case was thrown out because the venue was not appropriate, leading the FBI to bring a fresh indictment against him in Washington, D.C., in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in April.

The FBI informant who collected the $30,000 from Mr Chagoury —previously convicted and pardoned in Switzerland over money laundering charges — then distributed it to different people, who in turn contributed it to Mr Fortenberry’s campaign.

The contribution was made at a fundraiser for Mr Fortenberry’s campaign outside Los Angeles in 2016, but the lawmaker did not disclose the contribution in federal election filings.

Mr Fortenberry should not have taken the money from Mr Chagoury because Mr Chagoury is a Nigerian-Lebanese based in Paris, and it is illegal to receive campaign contributions from a foreigner.

Two years later, precisely in 2018, Mr Fortenberry called the FBI informant about hosting another fundraiser in Los Angeles, and the informant told him “on multiple occasions” about the illegal source of the 2016, fundraiser, but the congressman did nothing.

Mr Fortenberry did not bother to file an amended report to disclose the illicit donations and still insisted he did not know about the funds in an interview with federal investigators a year later.

The FBI is not charging Mr Fortenberry for collecting the money, which happened in 2016, but for lying about having collected it when he was interviewed by agents in 2019.

He denied knowledge of the donations from Mr Chagoury and said he would have been “horrified” to learn money raised from the fundraiser was illegal even though he was clearly told by the informant in the 2018 phone call.

He “misleadingly” told federal agents that he ended the 2018 phone call after hearing a “concerning comment” from the other end of the phone.

The former congressman, in March 2019, according to the indictment, “made false and misleading statements after being advised it was a crime to lie to the federal government” when he was asked for a clarification on donations and donors from the 2016 fundraiser.

Mr Fortenberry has already hired lawyers to fight the charges on his behalf. He resigned from the House of Representatives in March 2022 after he was initially charged in California.

A spokesman for Mr Chagoury declined comments to Peoples Gazette over the matter.


https://gazettengr.com/fbi-refiles-charges-against-u-s-lawmaker-for-accepting-bribes-from-tinubus-ally-gilbert-chagoury/

Show me your friend Mynd44, I will tell you who you are.

Tinubu brought moral baggage, never before has such happened to Nigerians

SadiqBabaSani:
Tinubu brought moral baggage, never before has such happened to Nigerians

Anyone associated with the druggie cum CSU certificate forger must be a criminal by default. So much moral burden for a nation.

I no understand Igbos,abi obi miscreants! How’s does tinubu enter this discussion So because your fake package fraudulent messiah lose election shamefully to your god TINUBU,it’s to be associating every negative news to him?? Wait, I want to ask you obi nuisances, the way tinubu fried you people and your fake messiah in the last election , AND the way ahmadu Bello people dealth with you in the civil war,which one traumatized you people more!

Sensational journalism.

Mr. Chagoury hasnt commited any offence by donating to his friends campaign. The US lawmaker was only charged for lying about collecting campaign funds from a foreigner.

Where has the bribery conviniently inserted in the headline come from?

TVC will never broadcast this but will be interested in launching propaganda against Peter Obi and Fubara.

Someone should remind me when the attack dog called Omokri comment about this.

Men have started applying pressure on Tinubu via his proxies from abroad

I wonder why

Tinubu
Gbajagbiamila
Dapo Abiodun

can't Visit America ... Even as diplomatic Citizens.

Criminals elected as leaders...
Imagine if this was Peter Obi.. just imagine .


Believe their Propaganda and you are a foolish person.

RONU is disgusting..

Reno is irrelevant.. Everybody knows that he is hungry..

As for TVC ..the day DSTV will have a Block feature, that is when they will understand that their news and all their Propaganda are worthless.

A TV Station that is based on thick bigoted news feeds and promote ethnic shaming of other tribes, while promoting a tribe known for worthless and senseless reasoning..

Praxis758:
TVC will never broadcast this but will be interested in launching propaganda against Peter Obi and Fubara.

Someone should remind me when the attack dog called Omokri comment about this.

The statement was explicit .

Do you need glasses?


Or will you only believe if it was the TVC version or Nation Newspaper?

Nonsense

Svoboda:
Sensational journalism.

Mr. Chagoury hasnt commited any offence by donating to his friends campaign. The US lawmaker was only charged for lying about collecting campaign funds from a foreigner.

Where has the bribery conviniently inserted in the headline come from?

Tinubu is the nightmare of bitter grievingory Obi and his embittered OBItuaries, he singlehandedly defeated and crushed their messiah lord and savior

sultanofpigs:
The statement was explicit .

Do you need glasses?


Or will you only believe if it was the TVC version or Nation Newspaper?

Nonsense

Oga, pls tell me when falsifying and concealment of campaign funds turned to bribery? The basic problem the american has is lying and non declaration of the donations and not the donations source itself.

Youre only using that US congressman jeffersons case with the feds and atiku in 2007 to telescope this one.

If he was appointed into Us government, would the headline have also read Tinubu's ally?

Na pettiness left for the Nigeria oppositions

When the time comes a better forensic focus will be advanced..and then you will know who is truly the END point.

This is not your corrupt Judiciary of gathering of compromised politicians and agencies

Let them do their work..

Svoboda:


Oga, pls tell me when falsifying and concealment of campaign funds turned to bribery? The basic problem the american has is lying and non declaration of the donations and not the donations source itself.

Youre only using that US congressman jeffersons case with the feds and atiku in 2007 to telescope this one.

sultanofpigs:
When the time comes a better forensic focus will be advanced..and then you will know who is truly the END point.

This is not your corrupt Judiciary of gathering of compromised politicians and agencies

Let them do their work..

Goodluck to you and peoples gazette.

Chai...

If it's the cable.ng...TVC..Punch..tribune or Nation Newspaper will you say this?

Grow up..

Svoboda:


Goodluck to you and peoples gazette.

D-Land

OP, if you don't concentrate on your life, you will end up like those before you on the streets

Tinubu go be like..

Which kain Valhalla be this?

Thanks @ Op for giving good to these people food instead of them to kill themselves for hunger you gave them something to feast on .

RichBoy247:
OP, if you don't concentrate on your life, you will end up like those before you on the streets

What's wrong with the Op? Did he manufacture the news?
Whether you like it or not, this is making front page.

Svoboda:


Goodluck to you and peoples gazette.

You can't bribe everybody to criminal silence.

BeardedMeat:

Tinubu go be like..

Which kain Valhalla be this?

Let me go and report 2 my daddy (tinupooo) that someone here is talking about him(lolz)

Leemzyy:
Let me go and report 2 my daddy (tinupooo) that someone here is talking about him(lolz)

My guy don't bother yourself because you can't see him, he's been caged in Aso rock

BeardedMeat:
My guy don't bother yourself because you can't see him, he's been caged in Aso rock

Hhm plss am a girl,and by the way if i wish 2 see that man in less than 48hrs it is done

If Dem no put Tinubu name, the media house will collapse in 6 months.

Even their wives they can't get pregnant, na Tinubu cause am.

Chagoury.

That man will go to jail in Nigeria one day.

When a pharaoh that does not know Joseph comes to power.

Abeg wetin concern Tinubu in this matter?

CSTRR:
Chagoury.

That man will go to jail in Nigeria one day.

When a pharaoh that does not know Joseph comes to power.

That man constructed the National Assembly complex, part of Tincan Island, etc. NA dem get Eko hotels, and many more. Instead of using Tinubu’s name to sell this piece of news, it is important to know that Chagoury is an ally of any sitting president, just like Dangote.

Svoboda:
Sensational journalism.

Mr. Chagoury hasnt commited any offence by donating to his friends campaign. The US lawmaker was only charged for lying about collecting campaign funds from a foreigner.

Where has the bribery conviniently inserted in the headline come from?

Yeah, exactly the way people donate to law enforcement agents on our roads.

Draslo:

That man constructed the National Assembly complex, part of Tincan Island, etc. NA dem get Eko hotels, and many more. Instead of using Tinubu’s name to sell this piece of news, it is important to know that Chagoury is an ally of any sitting president, just like Dangote.

Even to our shame.
The man is a known crook that has robbed this country blind, right from the days of abacha.
Many of his associates in America have been jailed.

An incorruptible Pharaoh that does not know Joseph will come to power one day, and chagoury will pay for what he has done to this country, whether you like it or not.