LINCOLN- Shortly after being sentenced to probation last week for lying to federal agents, former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry did as he said he would and appealed his conviction.

His legal representatives said they expect to file a complaint with the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, alleging that FBI agents used “deceptive tactics” in getting Fortenberry to talk to them.

Attorney Glen Summers, who also represented Fortenberry during the trial, said in a statement that federal false statements statutes are “far too susceptible to abuse” and that the 61-year-old Republican should not have been prosecuted for comments he gave to FBI agents.

Fortenberry’s six-page “notice of appeal” was filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California.

“We look forward to presenting these issues on appeal and hopefully helping to rein in the weaponization of Section 1001 by federal law enforcement agencies,” Summers said.

Section 1001 of the federal code makes it illegal to make false statements to a federal investigation. The congressman and Flynn were prosecuted under that section.

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