Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) said Tuesday he expected federal prosecutors to indict him, and that he felt “betrayed” after “trying to help” them.
“About two-and-a-half years ago, I had a knock on my door on a weekend,” Fortenberry said in a YouTube video published on Tuesday, which he recorded in a pickup truck along with his wife, Celeste Fortenberry. “They were FBI agents from California. I let them in my house.”
Fortenberry noted they were investigating Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagorury, who was accused of using straw donors to funnel $180,000 to four U.S. congressional candidates. The 75-year-old resident of France agreed in March to pay a $1.8 million fine to the U.S. government to settle the allegations.
Fortenberry has represented a safe district for Republicans in the U.S. House since 2005, routinely winning 60 to 70 percent of his voters in blowout elections.
“I answered their questions,” Fortenberry added in Tuesday’s video. “Later, we went back and answered further questions. I told them what I knew and understood. They accused me of lying to them and are charging me with this. We’re shocked. We’re stunned. I feel so personally betrayed. We thought we were trying to help.”
“To be accused of this is extremely painful, and we are suffering greatly,” Fortenberry said. “We will fight these charges.
Watch above via YouTube.