In response to the latest “legal decision that has weakened American justice, allowed a greedy corporate aristocracy to buy power, and turned our republic into an oligarchy,” Lisa McCormick is calling on Congress to enact decisive measures against the rising tide of legalized bribery, exemplified by a series of court decisions undermining American justice.
The urgency of her latest appeal followed the overturning of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s 2022 conviction, which McCormick called “the latest, alarming instance of how the justice system is failing to curb the influence of money in politics.
The opinion from a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said that prosecutors would be able to retry Fortenberry “if at all, in a proper venue.”
Fortenberry resigned from Congress shortly after a federal jury in the Central District of California convicted him on one count of scheming to falsify and conceal material facts and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, a resident of Paris, made illegal campaign contributions to U.S. presidential and congressional candidates, including Fortenberry.
Chagoury paid $1.8 million to resolve allegations that he provided approximately $180,000 for illegal contributions through straw donors to four different federal political candidates in U.S. elections.
The other recipient candidates remain officially unnamed but Chagoury admitted to contributing roughly $180,000 to them through straw donors, and their identities appear to be a joint fundraising committee supporting Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign that received a $50,000 contribution in 2012; Rep. Lee Terry, who received a $50,000 contribution in 2012; and Rep. Darrell Issa, who received a $50,000 contribution in 2014. $30,000 contribution received in 2016.
This case is not an isolated incident but part of a concerning pattern where court decisions contribute to the erosion of ethical standards and accountability.
“The Fortenberry controversy simply shows that it is essential to rectify the broader legal framework that has essentially legalized bribery in the United States,” said McCormick.
“The Constitution requires that a criminal defendant have certain rights but it is a fundamental principle that we should not compromise on rooting out the cancer that is destroying our nation,” said McCormick. “We need Congress to step up and enact legislation that ensures justice is served, preventing the manipulation of legal proceedings to escape accountability.”
Several recent court cases have played a role in diluting the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures, turning political contributions into de facto bribes. Notable examples include Weyhrauch v. United States, Skilling v. United States, Citizens United v. FEC, McDonnell v. United States, McCutcheon v. FEC, Buckley v. Valeo, and SpeechNow.org v. FEC.
“Lawmakers have failed to respond to these cases with legislation to patch the gaping holes in our ethics codes because they benefit from corrupt influence and dirty money,” said McCormick. “I believe we need to rise in rebellion against this betrayal and I suspect that most Americans want the same thing.”
McCormick challenged US Senator Bob Menendez in the 2018 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey, she has fought against what she perceives as the influence of a corporate aristocracy in politics.