A US Congressman in Nebraska, Jeff Fortenberry, has resigned from office after being found guilty by a California jury of lying about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.
In the US, It is illegal for foreign nationals to make contributions to campaigns.
Fortenberry was convicted in October of lying to FBI agents on two occasions about his knowledge of an illegal $30,000 contribution to his 2016 re-election campaign from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent.
Chagoury is a Paris-based industrialist and was reportedly once a top advisor to Sani Abacha, former Nigerian military ruler.
During the trial, prosecutors were said to have presented recorded phone conversations in which Fortenberry was warned repeatedly that the contributions came from Chagoury.
Officials reportedly said one of Chagoury’s associates gave $30,000 to “an individual at a restaurant in Los Angeles, who, along with others, later made campaign contributions” to Fortenberry’s re-election campaign.
In a letter on Saturday, Fortenberry said he was resigning from congress effective March 31.
He said it has been his honor to serve in the United States House of Representatives but due to the difficulties of his current circumstances, he can no longer effectively serve.
Fortenberry’s announcement followed pressure from political leaders in Nebraska and Washington for him to resign.
He is set to be sentenced on June 28 with each count carrying up to five years of federal prison time.
However, Fortenberry is said to appeal against the conviction.
