Convicted of felonies, Fortenberry to leave Congress on Thursday
Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who vowed to appeal his conviction of three felonies related to an illegal $30,000 campaign contribution, said he would resign from the House effective Thursday. Before the indictment last October, Fortenberry was the senior Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees USDA and FDA spending.
Fortenberry is indicted on charges of lying about campaign donations
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, the senior Republican on the House panel that oversees USDA funding, with three counts of concealing information and making false statements during an investigation of an illegal $30,000 campaign contribution, said the Justice Department on Tuesday. In a video recorded in his pickup truck, Fortenberry said, "We will fight these charges."
‘We will rebuild rural America,’ says Trump, starting with broadband
In his first trip to Iowa since taking office, President Trump was introduced to high-technology, big-data dependent agriculture and said his $1 trillion infrastructure plan will expand broadband access in rural America. "We will rebuild rural America," said the president, with a prosperous farm sector as the lever for economic growth in rural communities.
Judge slaps GMA with $18 million campaign-finance fine
The Grocery Manufacturers Association says it will "vigorously pursue its options to correct" the record-setting $18 million fine levied on it by a Washington state judge for violating campaign finance laws in the 2013 state referendum on labeling GMO foods.
Clinton dominates on food and ag campaign donations
"Big Food and Ag" has donated more heavily, by almost a 2-1 margin, to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton than Republican nominee Donald Trump, says Mother Jones, although Trump began catching up in August when his electoral prospects brightened.