Washington D.C., Mar 28, 2022 / 11:08 am
In the wake of a criminal conviction, U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) announced his resignation in a letter to his colleagues on Saturday.
“Due to the difficulties of my current circumstances, I can no longer effectively serve,” Fortenberry wrote. “I will resign from Congress effective March 31, 2022.”
Fortenberry, who has represented Nebraska since 2005, made the announcement after he was convicted on March 24 of three felony counts of lying to federal officials during their investigation of illegal donations to his campaign from a wealthy non-U.S. citizen. At the time, Fortenberry said he would appeal the conviction.
In his resignation letter, Fortenberry, a Catholic, cited a poem inscribed on the walls of St. Teresa’s children’s home in Calcutta, India. He stressed that he reads it “when things are difficult.”