A federal judge in California has rejected Nebraska 1st District Congressman Jeff Fortenberry’s attempt to move his trial for misleading federal agents to Nebraska from California.
The ruling is a setback for Fortenberry, a 9-term Republican who is accused of lying to federal authorities who were investigating an illegal contribution to his 2016 campaign
from a foreign national.
Defense attorneys argued the alleged lying occurred in 2019 in Nebraska, but prosecutors argued that since the illegal contribution occurred at a fundraiser in Los Angeles, the case should remain in California.
They also accused Fortenbery of “venue shopping” for a potentially friendlier and more Republican-leaning jury pool in Nebraska for the trial tentatively set for next month.