Fortenberry attorneys seek to allow expert witness on 'cognitive aging' to testify [View all]

Defense attorneys for indicted U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry are seeking to call an expert on memory to testify that the 60-year-old congressman didn’t recall the origin of some 2016 campaign contributions because of his age and because of “repetitive” questioning by federal agents.

In court filings Thursday, prosecutors and Fortenberry’s attorneys also spatted over whether any evidence would be presented during the trial about the alleged political motivations of the lead U.S. attorney prosecuting the case.

The congressman’s attorneys maintain that he was targeted because he’s a Republican; prosecutors say such claims are false and an attempt to divert attention away from his alleged crimes.

Fortenberry, who has represented eastern Nebraska’s 1st District since 2005, stands accused of lying to federal investigators probing illegal “conduit” campaign donations in 2016 that originated from a Nigerian billionaire.

Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/04/fortenberry-attorneys-seek-to-allow-expert-witness-on-cognitive-aging-to-testify/