Jeffrey Lane Fortenberry (born December 27, 1960) is a former
United States congressman
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
.
He served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 2005 to 2022, representing as a member of the
Republican Party.
In October 2021, a
federal grand jury indicted Fortenberry on three charges of lying to investigators and concealing information about foreign campaign contributions.
He was convicted of all three felony counts in March 2022.
After the convictions,
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
Nancy Pelosi and
House Minority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are el ...
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...
called upon Fortenberry to resign. He officially resigned on March 31, 2022. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 2 years' probation, plus community service and a fine.
Early life, education and early career
Fortenberry graduated from
Catholic High in his native
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...
. He holds a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in economics from
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
, a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in public policy from
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, and a master's degree in theology from the
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private Franciscan university in Steubenville, Ohio. The university had 3,040 students as of fall 2019, including 2,317 students on campus, in 40 undergraduate and 8 graduate degree programs. The studen ...
.
Fortenberry previously worked as an economist, in local economic development, and as a publishing executive for Sandhills Publishing. He was also a policy analyst for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations. Fortenberry was an at-large member of the Lincoln City Council from 1997 to 2001.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2004
Fortenberry won the seven-candidate Republican primary to replace the retiring
Doug Bereuter
Douglas Kent Bereuter (born October 6, 1939) is an American retired politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 until 2004. He also served as the presi ...
with 39% of the vote. He defeated
Curt Bromm
Curt Bromm is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He served as Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature from 2003 to 2004.[Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...](_blank)
of the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the sm ...
, and
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) conservative organization active in the United States, with an agenda focused on cutting taxes and other economic policy issues. Club for Growth's largest funders are the billionaires Jeff Yass and Richard U ...
-endorsed businessman Greg Ruehle (21%). In the general election, he defeated State Senator
Matt Connealy
Matthew James "Matt" Connealy (born December 11, 1951) is a former member the Nebraska Legislature, and former executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party.
Personal life
Born in Oakland, Nebraska, he graduated from Decatur High School ...
54%–43%. He won all but two counties: Thurston and Burt.
2006
Fortenberry was reelected to a second term, defeating former
Lieutenant Governor Maxine Moul, 58%–42%, winning all but Burt County.
2008
Fortenberry was reelected to a third term, defeating Marine veteran
Max Yashirin 70–30%.
2010
Fortenberry was challenged in the Republican primary for the first time since 2004. He drew two opponents and won with 84% of the vote. He was reelected to a fourth term, defeating legislative staffer Ivy Harper, 71%–29%.
2012
Fortenberry drew two opponents in the Republican primary again, but won with 86% of the vote.
2014
Fortenberry was reelected to a sixth term, defeating the Democratic nominee, attorney Dennis Crawford.
2016
Fortenberry was reelected to a seventh term, defeating the Democratic nominee, physician Dan Wik.
2018
Campaigning for an eighth term in October 2018, it was reported that Fortenberry's chief of staff threatened a professor at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, Ari Kohen, who had
liked a
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
post depicting a photo of a vandalized Fortenberry campaign sign, raising the issue to Kohen's supervisor as well as the dean and chancellor of the university. In reaction, Kohen raised a complaint with the
Office of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is a nonpartisan, independent entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and the ...
, alleging a chilling effect on free speech.
Fortenberry defeated
Democratic nominee Jessica McClure with 60% of the vote, but lost in Lancaster County.
2020
Fortenberry defeated Democratic
state Senator Kate Bolz with 59% of the vote.
Tenure
During the week of April 12, 2021, Fortenberry made two false calls for emergency service to the
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...
through the emergency duress button in his Capitol office. The calls were apparently not for a genuine emergency, but only to check the agency's response time.
Political positions
Agriculture, energy, and environment
Fortenberry served on the
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. He introduced the Renewable Fuels for America's Future Act of 2010, designed to reduce subsidies for the production of
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
. The act would result in taxpayer savings of $5.67 billion, according to economists Ernie Goss of
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
and Bruce Babcock of
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
.
In 2020, Fortenberry signed a forest management agreement and gathered producers across Nebraska to discuss growing the agriculture family through integrating
big data, precision farming, and
value-add
In business, total value added is calculated by tabulating the unit value added (measured by summing unit profit sale price and production cost">Price.html" ;"title="he difference between Price">sale price and production cost], unit depreciation ...
s to maximize incomes of farms of all sizes. On August 4, 2020, a bipartisan initiative supported by Fortenberry, the
Great American Outdoors Act
The Great American Outdoors Act (H.R. 1957) is a piece of legislation passed by the United States Congress, signed by President Donald J. Trump, and activated into Public Law (Public Law No. 116-152) in 2020. It has two major components: fully an ...
, was signed into law by President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
. In September 2020, Fortenberry sponsored H.R. 3651, which serves to facilitate the use of certain land in Nebraska for public outdoor recreational opportunities and for other purposes.
Healthcare
Fortenberry voted against the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but said in 2010 that he supported "the right type of
reform">ealth carereform", incorporating measures to reduce costs, improve outcomes and protect vulnerable people. He introduced H.R. 321, the SCHIP Plus Act of 2009, to offer eligible families the choice to retain coverage for their children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (
SCHIP) or using program funds to help pay for family insurance plans. He introduced H.R. 5479, aimed at protecting people with
preexisting condition
In the context of healthcare in the United States, a pre-existing condition is a medical condition that started before a person's health insurance went into effect. Before 2014, some insurance policies would not cover expenses due to pre-existin ...
s.
In 2020, Fortenberry introduced Matt's Act, named in honor of one of his constituents who was diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar ...
at age 13. The legislation would allow prescription drug manufacturers to sell
insulin directly to patients. Fortenberry claimed it would reduce the price of insulin by two-thirds.
Fortenberry introduced ACT for ALS to help people suffering from
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) gain access to new treatments. The act would have the
Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
guide a new public-private partnership for streamlined research and drug approval for ALS. As of late December 2020, over 270 members of Congress co-signed the legislation.
Foreign and military affairs
In 2010, ''
Foreign Policy'' magazine listed Fortenberry as a "new Republican powerbroker" on nuclear security issues. In an October 2010 endorsement, the ''Lincoln Journal Star'' called Fortenberry "uncommonly well-informed on international issues".
Fortenberry, and then-Appropriations Committee chair
Nita Lowey
Nita Sue Lowey ( ) ( Melnikoff; born July 5, 1937) is an American politician who formerly served as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1989 until 2021. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Lowey also served as co-Dean of the New York C ...
co-sponsored the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA), which aims to ease tensions between Israelis and Palestinians by giving grants and loans to startup businesses.
In his role on the Appropriations Committee, Fortenberry advocated for funding to enhance
Offutt Air Force Base facilities, STRATCOM facilities, and to provide a new runway.
Abortion
Fortenberry received a 100%
anti-abortion score from the
National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
Since the 1980s, NRLC has influen ...
in a ranking of members of the 111th Congress (2009–2011). He spoke annually at the
March for Life.
COVID-19 pandemic
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Fortenberry supported the
Paycheck Protection Program
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a $953-billion business loan program established by the United States federal government during the Donald Trump administration in 2020 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARE ...
(PPP), providing small businesses with financial support throughout the pandemic. The program is estimated to have saved over 300,000 jobs in Nebraska. The state led the nation in PPP loans approved per capita.
''Texas v. Pennsylvania''
In December 2020, Fortenberry was one of 126 Republican members of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
to sign an
amicus brief
An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...
in support of ''
Texas v. Pennsylvania'', a lawsuit filed at the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
contesting the results of the
2020 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*5 January:
**C ...
, in which
Joe Biden defeated incumbent
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked
standing
Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an ''erect'' ("orthostatic") position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the s ...
under
Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.
Following the Supreme Court's decision not to take up ''Texas v. Pennsylvania'', and the
Electoral College's certification of the election results, Fortenberry recognized
Joe Biden as President-elect and congratulated him on his victory. He voted against invalidating the election results on January 6, 2021, saying, "As much as I supported President Trump to win, I believe the proposed remedy to election irregularities is inconsistent with my legal obligation and the guidance of my conscience. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. My decision is consistent with that oath. I will vote to certify the election."
January 6 commission
On May 19, 2021, Fortenberry was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the
January 6 commission meant to investigate the
storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Immigration
Fortenberry voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes the
Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
to nearly double the available
H-2B visa
The H-2B visa nonimmigrant program permits employers to hire foreign workers to come temporarily to the United States and perform temporary nonagricultural services or labor on a one-time, seasonal, peakload or intermittent basis.
The H-2B visa ...
s for the remainder of FY 2020.
Fortenberry voted for the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158), which effectively prohibits
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration th ...
from cooperating with the
Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
to detain or remove
illegal alien sponsors of
Unaccompanied Alien Children
Unaccompanied Alien Children (or UAC, also referred to as unaccompanied alien minors or UAMs) is a United States government classification for children in immigration custody and the name of a program operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement ...
.
Committee assignments
Fortenberry previously served on the
Committee on Appropriations
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Commi ...
during the
117th Congress, but stepped down from all of his committee assignments on October 20, 2021, after being indicted for allegedly concealing information and lying to the FBI about illegal contributions to his campaign. His last committee assignments were:
*
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The United States House Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives that is responsible for passing appropriation bills along with its Senate counterpart. The bills passed by the Appropriations Comm ...
**
(Ranking Member)
**
Caucus memberships
Fortenberry was known to serve on the below congressional caucuses.
*
Republican Main Street Partnership
The Republican Main Street Partnership is a 501(c)(4) organization that was allied with the congressional Republican Main Street Caucus. The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019.
Hist ...
*
Republican Governance Group
* Nuclear Security Working Group (Co-chair)
* Congressional Caucus on Beef
* Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus
* Friends of Switzerland Caucus
* Congressional Friends of Jordan Caucus (Vice Chair)
* Congressional Catholic Staff Association (Chair)
*
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
The U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus, founded in September 2003, is a bipartisan congressional organization with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advanc ...
(Co-chair)
*
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Although the prima ...
Federal conviction and resignation
On October 19, 2021, it was announced that Fortenberry was being investigated for about $30,000 in illegal campaign contributions,
funneled through three
strawmen at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles, that his 2016 campaign received from the Nigerian-born, Paris-based billionaire
Gilbert Chagoury, who also made contributions to three other American political candidates. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted him on one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
On March 24, 2022, Fortenberry was convicted of all three felony counts of making false statements to the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
and concealing information about his campaign donations.
Fortenberry was quoted as saying after the trial, "We always felt like it was going to be hard to have a fair process here, so this appeal starts immediately", but he could not appeal until after sentencing. Fortenberry faced up to five years in prison on each of the three felony counts, as well as fines.
He is the first member of Congress convicted while in office since
Chaka Fattah
Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport; November 21, 1956) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House for from 1995 to 2016. The district included portions of North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and West P ...
in 2016.
Within days of Fortenberry's conviction, lawmakers from both parties called on him to resign from Congress. House Minority Leader
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician, serving as House Minority Leader in the United States House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as House Majority Leader under spea ...
said on March 25, "I think he had his day in court... I think if he wants to appeal, he could go do that as a private citizen... But I think when someone's convicted, it's time to resign." On March 26, Fortenberry issued a written statement to his colleagues in the House that said, "Due to the difficulties of my current circumstances, I can no longer effectively serve. I will resign from Congress effective March 31, 2022."
On June 28, 2022, federal judge
Stanley Blumenfeld sentenced Fortenberry to two years' probation, 320 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine.
References
External links
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortenberry, Jeff
1960 births
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American criminals
American economists
American Roman Catholics
Catholic High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) alumni
Catholics from Nebraska
Franciscan University of Steubenville alumni
Living people
Louisiana State University alumni
McCourt School of Public Policy alumni
Nebraska city council members
Nebraska politicians convicted of crimes
Politicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska