30 Facts About Jeff Fortenberry

Jeff Fortenberry served in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2022, representing as a member of the Republican Party.

Jeff Fortenberry was convicted of all three felony counts in March 2022.

Jeff Fortenberry graduated from Catholic High in his native Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Jeff Fortenberry holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Louisiana State University, a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University, and a master's degree in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Jeff Fortenberry previously worked as an economist, in local economic development, and as a publishing executive for Sandhills Publishing.

Jeff Fortenberry was a policy analyst for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations.

Jeff Fortenberry was an at-large member of the Lincoln City Council from 1997 to 2001.

Jeff Fortenberry defeated Curt Bromm, the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, and Club for Growth-endorsed businessman Greg Ruehle.

Jeff Fortenberry won all but two counties: Thurston and Burt.

Jeff Fortenberry was challenged in the Republican primary for the first time since 2004.

Jeff Fortenberry was reelected to a sixth term, defeating the Democratic nominee, attorney Dennis Crawford.

Jeff Fortenberry was reelected to a seventh term, defeating the Democratic nominee, physician Dan Wik.

Jeff Fortenberry served on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

Jeff Fortenberry introduced the Renewable Fuels for America's Future Act of 2010, designed to reduce subsidies for the production of ethanol.

In 2020, Jeff 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-adds to maximize incomes of farms of all sizes.

Jeff Fortenberry voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but said in 2010 that he supported "the right type of [health care] reform", incorporating measures to reduce costs, improve outcomes and protect vulnerable people.

In 2020, Jeff Fortenberry introduced Matt's Act, named in honor of one of his constituents who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 13.

Jeff Fortenberry claimed it would reduce the price of insulin by two-thirds.

Jeff Fortenberry introduced ACT for ALS to help people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis gain access to new treatments.

In December 2020, Fortenberry was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump.

On May 19,2021, Jeff 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 US Capitol.

Jeff Fortenberry voted for the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.

Jeff Fortenberry previously served on the Committee on Appropriations 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.

Jeff Fortenberry was known to serve on the below congressional caucuses.

On October 19,2021, it was announced that Jeff 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-Lebanese, Paris-based billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, who made contributions to three other American political candidates.

On March 24,2022, Jeff Fortenberry was convicted of all three felony counts of making false statements to the FBI and concealing information about his campaign donations.

Jeff 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.

Jeff Fortenberry faced up to five years in prison on each of the three felony counts, as well as fines.

Jeff Fortenberry is the first member of Congress convicted while in office since Chaka Fattah in 2016.

On May 9,2024, federal prosecutors reissued the same criminal charges against Jeff Fortenberry, making a retrial more likely.