Judge Says GOP Congressman Can’t Be Left Alone With Evidence
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.
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.”
Witnesses against Fortenberry include an unidentified informant, as well as several current and former aides—including his longtime chief of staff Dr. Reyn Archer—whose names were listed at the Nebraska Republican’s arraignment last week. The protective order indicates some witnesses have even been cooperating undercover.
Blumenfield also cited concerns that, left unchecked, the congressman may disclose information about parallel investigations involving other officials.
“A protective order for the discovery is also necessary so that the government can produce to the defense materials related to sensitive and ongoing investigations, including those related to public officials,” the judge wrote, adding that “disclosure of this information without limitation risks the privacy and security of the information’s legitimate owners.”
more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-says-gop-congressman-jeff-fortenberry-cant-be-left-alone-with-evidence?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning
Do something positive.
| 
