A federal appeals court overturned former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s conviction for alleged foreign campaign donations, stating that trying him in California violated his due process rights.
Fortenberry resigned from Congress after being convicted of lying about receiving an illegal contribution.
The court’s decision could lead to a retrial, as the Justice Department considers its next steps.
The case involved allegations of a $30,000 campaign contribution from a foreign national and false statements made by Fortenberry.
“The ruling does not preclude a retrial on the charges that then-Congressman Fortenberry made multiple false statements to federal agents,” Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, stated.
“We are evaluating potential next steps before deciding how best to move forward.”
The court’s ruling was not entirely unexpected, as one of the judges had indicated support for Fortenberry’s arguments during oral arguments in July.
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