DOJ moves to toss charges against former Republican lawmaker

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday moved to toss out charges against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), who resigned from Congress in 2022 after a California jury convicted him of lying to federal authorities.

The request to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the same charges can't be brought again, comes as President Trump's Justice Department has moved to end criminal prosecutions of his political allies, including those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trump's co-defendants in his federal classified documents case.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump celebrated the end of the DOJ's "witch hunt" against Fortenberry and claimed he was the victim of a weaponized justice system.

"The charges were totally baseless," Trump said. "That Scam is now over, so Jeff and his family can go back to having a great life together, and be a part of our Country’s future as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!"

A California jury found Fortenberry guilty of lying to FBI agents in two separate interviews about his knowledge of illegal campaign contributions from a foreign billionaire.

Those interviews took place in Lincoln, Neb., and in Washington, but the case was brought in Los Angeles because federal prosecutors said he received the contributions at a 2016 fundraiser there. However, he was never charged with receiving illegal contributions.

That conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court in 2023, after it determined Fortenberry should have faced trial in Nebraska or Washington, D.C., instead.

Federal prosecutors brought the case again in Washington in May, and Fortenberry was awaiting a new trial when Trump won the presidential race.

The Hill requested comment from an attorney for Fortenberry.

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