Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle testified in defense of Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry as he faced campaign finance violation charges, including Rep. Anna Eshoo, a close ally of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Eshoo testified Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles in defense of her conservative colleague, saying that, in her experience, he is of good character. Fortenberry is accused of accepting an illegal $30,000 campaign contribution from a foreign national and lying to federal authorities about it.
REP. FORTENBERRY FEDERAL CORRUPTION TRIAL OPENS AS GOP RIVAL VIES FOR SEAT
“I think he brings honor to what he does,” Eshoo said. “He’s honest. His work is good. I can’t say that about all members of Congress. … My sensibility is that he brings integrity to everything he does.”
Eshoo and Fortenberry have worked closely across the party divide on the issue of protecting Christians in the Middle East.
Former Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, now a Fox News host, also testified on Fortenberry’s behalf. Gowdy was Fortenberry’s legal counsel at the outset of the case and disputed prosecutors’ claims that he did not cooperate with the investigation.
“In his mind, there was nothing out of whack with the amount of money raised,” said Gowdy, who represented a South Carolina House district from 2011 to 2019.
The defense rested following these testimonies Wednesday, closing a week of trial. Fortenberry’s defense team alleged that the charges were politically motivated, and his wife testified that the representative was distracted when taking the call informing him of the contribution and wasn’t aware of its origin.
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A grand jury indicted the Nebraska representative in October, alleging that he took a campaign contribution from Nigerian-French billionaire Gilbert Chagoury. Chagoury was found guilty of illegally funneling $180,000 into U.S. elections between 2012 and 2016 and ordered to pay a $1.8 million fine. Fortenberry had been easily elected to new terms since first winning his Lincoln, Nebraska, seat in 2004, but under the fog of corruption allegations, his primary opponents have outraised him.
