LOS ANGELES- In a nearly immediate decision, a California jury found U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry guilty Thursday of lying to federal investigators and trying to conceal illegal campaign donations.

Jeff Fortenberry was found guilty on all three felony charges, each of which carries a possible 5 year jail time sentence. Sentencing was scheduled for June 28th according to judge Stanley Blumenfeld.

Afterward, Fortenberry promised an appeal and said he would review whether to continue his re-election campaign. He faces a formidable GOP challenger, State Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, in the primary.

“We always thought it was going to be hard to have a fair process here,” Fortenberry told reporters, his family at his side, outside the courthouse. “We made our case.”

The most important piece of evidence was a 10-minute audio recording — done surreptitiously by the FBI — of a June 4, 2018, phone call the host of a Los Angeles fundraiser had with Fortenberry.

During the trial, several of the jurors scribbled notes every time the recording of the phone call was played in court, which occurred at least four times during the trial.

Among the questions facing Fortenberry: Will he continue his re-election campaign while appealing the guilty verdicts? What kind of future does he have if he loses his seat in Congress?

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