Federal prosecutors have requested the dismissal of charges against a former Nebraska congressman accused of lying about a foreign billionaire's illegal campaign contribution. The one-page court filing did not provide a reason for the decision to drop the case against the Republican lawmaker, who had previously resigned following a related conviction in 2022.
The top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia oversaw the move to dismiss nearly 1,600 cases related to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The spokesperson for the prosecutor's office declined to offer further details on the decision to end the case against the former congressman, who was set to face a jury trial in July.
In 2022, the former congressman was convicted in Los Angeles for lying to the FBI about receiving illegal funds from a Nigerian billionaire. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction, leading to new charges being filed in May for falsifying material facts and making false statements.
The indictment stated that the foreign billionaire had made a $30,000 contribution to the former congressman through intermediaries at a fundraiser in Los Angeles in 2016. Foreign nationals are prohibited from directly contributing to candidates for federal offices in the United States.
This legal saga marks the first trial for a sitting member of Congress since 2002 when a Democrat from Ohio was convicted on bribery and other felony charges.
