Midwest
Former GOP Rep. Fortenberry charged with lying about illegal campaign contribution
Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has been charged with lying to federal authorities about a foreign billionaire’s illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign, reviving a case that was derailed by an appellate court.
A federal jury convicted the Nebraska Republican in 2022, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Fortenberry’s conviction last year, ruling that the case should not have been tried in Los Angeles.
A grand jury in the nation’s capital indicted Fortenberry on Wednesday on two counts: falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements.
COURT REVERSES FORMER NEBRASKA US REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY’S CONVICTION FOR LYING TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
Chad Kolton, a spokesman for Fortenberry, said the case should not have been brought in the first place and should not be pursued again after the 9th Circuit ruled in his favor.
“This case has defined overzealous prosecution from the earliest days of the investigation, and retrying it in D.C. just highlights the prosecutors’ vindictive obsession with destroying a good man’s life,” Kolton said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., arrives at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
After his conviction, Fortenberry announced his resignation from the office that he had held since 2005. He had been under pressure from congressional leaders and Nebraska’s Republican governor.
The case stems an FBI investigation of illegal campaign contributions made by Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire who lived in Paris at the time. Chagoury made the $30,000 contribution to Fortenberry through middlemen at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles, his indictment says.
Chagoury later agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine. Foreign nationals are prohibited from directly contributing money to candidates for federal offices in the United States.
Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Chagoury. A person who cooperated with the FBI investigation repeatedly told Fortenberry about the illegal contributions, his indictment says.
The 9th Circuit ruled that Fortenberry was improperly tried in Los Angeles because he was charged in connection with statements that he made to federal agents at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at his lawyer’s office in Washington.
Fortenberry’s trial was the first for a sitting member of Congress since Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, who was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.
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Cleveland, OH
Which Guardians Top Prospects Will Make a Big League Impact in 2026?
This came on the heels of an incredible, albeit shortened, 2022 season at JMU where he hit .437/.576/.828 over 24 games. He likely would have gone even higher in the draft, but a broken foot prevented him from finishing the season and caused him to miss his first year of minor league play.
For DeLauter, health has always been the name of the game. In the time since his left foot injury, DeLauter has re-injured the same foot, sprained toes, strained his hamstring, dealt with a sports hernia, and fractured his right hamate bone.
These injuries have limited DeLauter to just 138 games over the past three seasons. Still, he has made the most of the time he has spent on the field. Over those 138 games, DeLauter has hit .302/.384/.504 across the minor league levels while hitting 20 home runs and 40 doubles.
While his hit and power tools have been impressive early, he has also demonstrated patience at the plate. He walks nearly as often as he strikes out, and rarely chases outside the zone. DeLauter is also a solid defender with a strong arm and the ability to play at any outfield position.
Outside of Kwan, the Guardians have lacked outfield production for some time. DeLauter should have plenty of runway throughout this next season as long as he can stay on the field.
Daniel Espino (RHP)
Among pitching prospects in the Guardians’ system, few are more interesting than Daniel Espino. Injuries have plagued his playing career thus far, but he still has plenty of potential.
Illinois
Keaton Wagler scored 19 points and No. 16 Illinois holds off No. 19 Iowa in 75-69 victory
Indiana
Who has more 5-star recruits? Indiana football or Miami? Take a look
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football’s roster is on more equal footing with Miami, even though the star rankings have meant little to the final results in this year’s CFP.
The No. 1 Hoosiers (15-0) beat Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 despite having no former 5-star players in the starting lineup and just one former top 100 recruit.
The No. 10 Hurricanes (13-2) will have a pair of former 5-star recruits in their starting lineup but are only starting a total of three former top-100 prospects. It’s a sharp drop off in top talent from the likes of Alabama (14), Ohio State (10) and Oregon (eight).
| Category | Indiana | Miami | Oregon | Ohio State | Alabama |
| 5-stars | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4-stars | 2 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 9 |
| Top 100 recruits | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 2-stars or below | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Indiana’s starting lineup still leads the way in overlooked recruits — it will start nine players that ranked 2-stars or below, including starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza — but Miami almost has more (four) than IU’s past three opponents combined (five).
The Hurricanes also has a more of a transfer laden starting lineup (11) than any of Indiana’s postseason opponents.
Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the recruiting rankings for this year’s participants in the CFP championship game:
Re-live IU’s 2025 season
Indiana football’s quarterbacks vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Quarterback | Fernando Mendoza (2022) | 2-stars (No. 2,149) | Carson Beck (2020) | 4-stars (No. 254) |
Indiana football’s skill positions vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Wide receiver | Elijah Sarratt (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Malachi Toney (2025) | 4-stars (No. 359) |
| Wide receiver | Omar Cooper Jr. (2022) | 4-stars (No. 299) | Keelan Marion | 2-stars (No. 3,390) |
| Wide receiver | E.J. Williams Jr. (2020) | 4-stars (No. 69) | CJ Daniels (2020) | 3-stars (No. 2,450) |
| Running back | Roman Hemby (2021) | 3-stars (No. 1,767) | Mark Fletcher Jr. (2023) | 4-stars (No. 149) |
| Tight end | Riley Nowakowski (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Alex Bauman (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,770) |
Indiana football’s offensive line vs Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Left tackle | Carter Smith (2022) | 3-stars (No. 730) | Markel Bell (2022) | N/A |
| Left guard | Drew Evans (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Matthew McCoy (2022) | 3-stars (No. 735) |
| Center | Pat Coogan (2021) | 3-stars (No. 613) | James Brockermeyer (2021) | 4-stars (No. 194) |
| Right guard | Bray Lynch (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,033) | Anez Cooper (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,149) |
| Right tackle | Kahlil Benson (2020) | 3-stars (No. 714) | Francis Mauigoa (2023) | 5-stars (No. 9) |
Indiana football’s defensive line vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Defensive tackle | Mario Landino (2024) | 3-stars (No. 2,398) | Ahmad Moten Sr. (2022) | 3-stars (No. 558) |
| Defensive tackle | Tyrique Tucker (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Justin Scott (2024) | 5-stars (No. 10) |
| Defensive end | Mikail Kamara (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Rueben Bain (2023) | 4-stars (No. 62) |
| Defensive end | Stephen Daley (2022) | 3-stars (No. 1,987) | Akheem Mesidor (2020) | 3-stars (No. 636) |
Indiana football’s linebackers vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Linebacker | Aiden Fisher (2022) | 0-stars (N/A) | Wesley Bissainthe (2022) | 4-stars (188) |
| Linebacker | Rolijah Hardy (2023) | 0-stars (N/A) | Mohamed Toure (2019) | 3-stars (No. 1,024) |
Indiana football’s secondary vs. Miami
| Position | Indiana (Year) | Rating (National rank) | Miami (Year) | Rating (National rank) |
| Cornerback | D’Angelo Ponds (2023) | 3-stars (No. 1,966) | OJ Frederique Jr. (2024) | 3-stars (No. 784) |
| Cornerback | Jamari Sharpe (2022) | 3-stars (No. 826) | Ethan O’Conner (2023) | 3-stars (No. 673) |
| Safety | Louis Moore (2020) | 0-stars (N/A) | Zechariah Poyser (2023) | N/A |
| Safety | Amare Ferrell (2022) | 3-stars (No. 578) | Jakobe Thomas (2021) | 3-stars (No. 2,048) |
| Rover | Devan Boykin (2020) | 3-stars (No. 833) | Keionte Scott (2020) | N/A |
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
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