Judge Says GOP Congressman Can't Be Left Alone With Evidence

[babylonsister]

Judge Says GOP Congressman Can’t Be Left Alone With Evidence
Undercover
The judge was so concerned that Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) might compromise the case that he prohibited Fortenberry from looking at the evidence against him by himself.
Roger Sollenberger
Political Reporter
Updated Oct. 29, 2021 5:47AM ET / Published Oct. 29, 2021 4:50AM ET
Bill Clark/Getty


After Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) was indicted last week for lying to the FBI over foreign donations to his campaign, authorities took the rare step Thursday of trying to prevent the nine-term Republican from tampering with witnesses or handling evidence without supervision.

The order, handed down by Judge Stanley Blumenfield in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, also reveals that the government is pursuing multiple related investigations involving other “public officials.”

In the ruling, Blumenfield sided with the prosecution’s concerns that Fortenberry cannot be trusted to handle evidence about cooperating witnesses. The order prohibits Fortenberry from taking notes or “memorializing” the evidence, and even requires his lawyers to ensure he is “never left alone with any Cooperator Materials.”

“Defendant may not take any Cooperator Materials out of the room in which defendant is meeting with the Defense Team. At no time, under no circumstance, will any Cooperator Materials be left in the possession, custody, or control of defendant, regardless of defendant’s custody status,” the judge wrote.

“Because these materials could be used to identify the confidential informants or cooperating witnesses," the judge wrote, "the Court finds that the unauthorized dissemination or distribution of the materials may compromise the ability of such persons to participate effectively in future investigations in an undercover capacity and/or may expose him/her to potential safety risks.”

more...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-says-gop-congressman-jeff-fortenberry-cant-be-left-alone-with-evidence?ref=home

[malaise]

1. A major reckoning is coming

Lots of folks will be heading for prison.
Take that to the bank

[Ferrets are Cool]

8. I hope you are correct

I will believe it when I see it.

[calimary]

14. Lordy Lordy I hope you're right.

But so many of these schmucks seem to be able to get away without facing ANY accountability.

When does THAT start changing?

[rurallib]

16. I so hope you are right.

Are you pellucidly clear on that?

[MagickMuffin]

2. "may expose him/her to potential safety risks." In a Heartbeat they would

Exposing those who seek justice is their mission to destroy them first.

[dalton99a]

3. Traitors and thieves should be treated as such.

[Backseat Driver]

4. Quotes about secrets...

Legal "justice" has it's own singular interpretation/language from the bench, when there are teams that share "discovery"?

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/secrets

Any pertinent to this ruling: Ben Franklin's? George Orwell's?

[Sneederbunk]

5. Should any accused be left alone with the evidence?

[MissMillie]

7. that's what I was thinking

when it comes to evidence, chain of custody is paramount, no matter who the defendant is.

[KS Toronado]

6. "foreign donations to his campaign,"

I'm betting Russia/Putin, hope he drags down Moscow Mitch with him & others.

[dchill]

9. "All I need to prove my innocence is five minutes alone...

... with the evidence. Oh - does anyone have a Bic?"

[progressoid]

10. I hate to be a spelling Nazi, but it's "Fartenberry."

[I_UndergroundPanther]

18. *snort*

[OneCrazyDiamond]

12. TFG Appointee. N/T

[bucolic_frolic]

13. That's ok, I hear Matt Gaetz can't be left alone with ....

[LiberalFighter]

15. Astounding that the judge needs to make that order.

But then again, I would think it should be a standard order.

[pecosbob]

17. Funny story...once a long time ago I got pulled over and the police officer found a roach in my car

My friend and I were made to wait on the sidewalk while he searched my car. Well, the cop found an old forgotten roach in a small bottle under my car seat. He set the evidence on the rear trunk lid of my 1967 Impala and he told us we were going to jail. He returned to continue searching my car and as soon as he put his head back inside my car, my friend stepped up to the car, grabbed the evidence and threw it into the lake across the road. I was dumbfounded that he had the cojones to do this.

That wasn't our first or last run-in with Officer Skinner, but that day we did not go to jail.