Fortenberry money from tainted source going to charity (R-Ne)

[Omaha Steve]

Published Thursday
December 1, 2005

Fortenberry money from tainted source going to charity

BY ROBYNN TYSVER


WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska said Wednesday that he would donate to charity the $4,000 his campaign received last year from disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California.

Fortenberry said he would give the money to the People's City Mission in Lincoln.

He made the announcement after Nebraska Democrats called for him to give up the "dirty dollars."

Republican Fortenberry was elected last year to replace longtime Republican Rep. Doug Bereuter.

"To help restore confidence in the institution of Congress, (Fortenberry) believes it is the right thing to do to donate the money," said Paul Webster, his chief of staff.

Fortenberry received $4,000 from Cunningham's political action committee, American Prosperity, in October 2004, shortly before he won his first election to Congress in Nebraska's 1st District. The investigation into Cunningham's financial transactions was not made public until July.

Cunningham resigned from Congress this week after admitting that he had accepted $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors. He now faces jail time.

Democrats said the Cunningham scandal was an example of corruption within the Republican ranks.

"These campaign contributions are yet another chain linking Fortenberry to the culture of corruption in the Republican Party," said Steve Achelpohl, chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

Cunningham's campaign committee donated to many Republican candidates. Key donors to the committee were defense contractors.

One of the donors was the defense firm MZM Inc. of Washington, D.C. - the same firm that purchased Cunningham's house for $1.6 million.

The house sale played a pivotal role in Cunningham's downfall. An investigation into Cunningham's affairs began after it became known that MZM bought the house and then sold it a year later for a $700,000 loss.

U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle of Iowa, also a Republican, on Tuesday donated to a local charity the $1,000 that he received from Cunningham's group.

Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1673&u_sid=2074662

[Ian David]

1. All going to "faith-based" charities? Pat Robertson's pals still win. n/t

[newscott]

2. It's worse than that. It's coming right back to them don't you worry.

They should RETURN THE MONEY.

[OKthatsIT]

3. It should be collected and placed in escrow, then returned to

the Tribes who were the victims of these crimes.